After all these years Book Three
by Are you calling me crazy
Summary: Levina returns to Hogwarts in high hopes of a finally ordinary year. However, with mass murderer Sirius Black on the loose, she is encountered by various dangers and mysteries, including secrets that may very well change her entire life. With a bloodthirtsy killer out in search of Harry, Levina and the Golden Trio find themselves in more trouble than anticipated. Rated T to be safe
1. Home again at last

**Welcome back to Book Three, The Prisoner of Azkaban! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Levina!**

* * *

Levina checked her list over three times to make sure she'd gotten everything for Hogwarts that year, the now-darkening sky above making it difficult to read.

Her _The Monster Book of Monsters _was attempting to chew its way out of her bag, and she had to clamp it shut with a thick rubber band to stop it from chewing on her other book, _Unfogging the Future._

Levina SnowPetal, a witch at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was going down Diagon Alley and getting her school books, pushing her kart with Lilypad, her black-furred cat, and Athena, her Spectacled owl, down the alley.

She'd changed from last year, her long brown hair ever-so-slightly shorter, perhaps by an inch. Her chocolate brown eyes remained the same, her height taller, and the elegant blue necklace she always wore around her neck remained, although its purpose was still unknown.

She made her way up to the Leaky Cauldron and pushed open the door, where, inside, at three tables combined, were the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry.

Doing her best not to be spotted, she snuck up behind the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and said, "Hello!"

The three of them spun around in their chairs, delighted.

"Levina!"

Hermione got to her feet and gave her a tight hug, grinning. "What are you doing here?"

"We talked over the phone," said Levina, gesturing towards Ron, "and he said to come here. Anna dropped me off, but she said that I was capable of doing the shopping alone. She's a wonderful cousin."

"Levina. How nice it is to see you again." Percy was sitting in one of the seats by Fred and George. He formally held out his hand, which she took, stifling a laugh.

"Good to see you too, Percy."

"Levina!"

Fred and George were both now standing beside her.

"Indeed how wonderful it is to make your aquaintance again," said Fred, taking her hand in his and kissing it.

"Ah, agreed, how grand it is!" said George, bowing low.

"Fred, George!" said Mrs. Weasley. "That's enough. Hello, Levina, dearie, how are you?"

"Very good, thanks, and you?"

"I'm pretty good, yeah."

"Hello, Levina!" said Mr. Weasley, beaming. "I do hope you had a nice summer?"

"Well, I suppose you could call it nice if you minus a few aspects of it," said Levina, taking a seat next to Harry, reaching for a bowl of chocolate pudding.

"Like what?" said Hermione.

"My family."

Ron laughed.

"So how was your summer, Harry?"

"I blew up my Aunt Marge."

Levina nearly choked on the chocolate pudding she'd just put in her mouth. "_What?"_

And Harry explained the entire ordeal with him and his Aunt Marge, who he'd caused to inflate.

"Ha!" said Levina through gleeful tears. "So you got to ride on the 'Knight Bus'? Was it fun?"

"Yeah, it was...all right."

"What's that?" asked Levina, pointing to a rather odd-looking cat sitting on the stairs. It had a very smashed face, but it was cute in an ugly sort of way.

"A monster," said Ron, cutting off Hermione as she opened her mouth to speak.

"My cat, Crookshanks," Hermione corrected, glaring at Ron.

After dinner everyone parted one by one to their rooms to check their stuff for the next day.

Levina sat down in front of a mirror in her room to brush out her brown hair, Lilypad happily playing with a piece of string on her bed, the bell around her neck jingling, while Athena hooted irritably, trying to sleep.

Somewhere next door in the other room, she thought she heard raised voices, but didn't bother to investigate, for a moment later, Fred and George came bounding in.

"Check out what we did to Percy's Head Boy Badge," said George.

The badge now read _Big Head Boy._

Levina laughed. "Does he not know you have it?"

"Nope," said Fred.

"And do you intend to tell him?"

"Nope."

Levina grinned. "Of course not; that was a stupid question, wasn't it?"

And after a brief conversation, the twins took their leave, shutting the door closed behind them.

Laying down in her bed with LilyPad curled up at her feet, Levina beamed into her pillow and anticipated the following day that would soon arrive.

* * *

Levina awoke to a hot cup of tea.

Locking the door, she dressed and headed downstairs with her belongings, placing Lilypad, Athena, and her suitcases in a stack near the door.

Engaging herself in a conversation with Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley about a love potion Mrs. Weasley'd made as a young girl, they were left quite giggly as they packed the rest of their stuff.

"They're here," called Mr. Weasley from the doorway. "Harry, come on."

Levina loaded into an old-fashioned dark green car with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Percy in the backseat.

When they reached King's cross, Levina watched Mr. Weasley escort Harry to the barrier. Levina had a feeling this had to to with Sirius Black, who was a murderer that, from what she'd heard, was after Harry.

In pairs, they went through the barrier, Harry with Mr. Weasley, Ginny with Percy, Levina with Hermione.

Levina and Hermione went at it with a run and found themselves in front of the Hogwarts Express, which was scarlet.

Loading their trunks into the carriage, Mrs. Weasley came up and gave everyone a kiss, including an embarrassed Levina, and handed out sandwiches to her children.

Once inside the train, Levina made her way down the corridor and over to a window with Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.

"Ahh, back to Hogwarts," said Levina dreamily.

"It's so good to see you again," said Hermione.

"I know, I missed you guys over the summer."

At that moment, Harry entered and waved out the window, followed by the others as the train pulled away from the station.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Levina, Ron, and Hermione.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny, and she left.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Levina went off to a find a compartment, but they could only get one at the very back of the train.

This had only one occupant: a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. It was odd; they'd only seen one adult ever on the train, and that had been the witch that pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhautsed. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," whispered Hermione at once.

"How d'you know that?"

"Honestly, Hermione, it can get a bit creepy," Levina added.

"It's on his case," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes at Levina as she pointed into the luggage rack.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at him.

"That's obvious," said Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"As long as it's not Lockhart," Levina mumbled darkly, letting Lilypad out of her cage.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." he turned to Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"

Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's arguement and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Levina found her hands traveling up her face to cover her mouth in horror.

"Sirius Black escaped to come after _you? _Oh, Harry...you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry-"

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds _me_."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"Sirius Black," Levina repeated. "I hadn't heard of him."

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

"Oh wait, yeah, I think Anna mentioned something about Black," said Levina, racking her brain to remember.

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked around the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later, he pulled a peculiar object from it, which was spinning very fast and glowing.

"What's _that?" _said Levina.

"A _Sneakoscope?" _said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," said Ron. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry.

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's really not up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

Harry's birthday. Levina had sent him a homemade cake with a Quidditch brush that would instantly clear off dirt, mud, or grass from his broomstick.

Levina felt a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach; they'd never gotten anything for her on her birthday before. Not that it mattered much, considering how her Aunt, Uncle, and Anna never mentioned anything of it, but she felt a bit hurt. She didn't tell them when her birthday was (December 11th), but it bothered her that they'd never so much as asked.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron was shouting.

Levina looked up, discarding her thoughts, to find Hermione allowing Crookshanks out of his cage.

"Get out of here!"

"Ron, no!"

"Oh, stop it, both of you!" Levina snapped. They both stared at her, and Lupin stirred beside them.

Turning away from them, she added to Harry, "So...did you like the new Quidditch Brush?"

Harry looked slightly surprised. "I...yeah, it was great. Why?"

"Just curious." She fiddled with her fingers for a moment. "Birthdays are quite nice, aren't they?"

Harry and Ron still looked incredibly perplexed, but Hermione suddenly gasped, "Levina! Have you never told us your birthday?"

"Nope," said Levina, feeling content by their looks of guilt.

"When is it?" said Harry.

"December 11th. ...I think."

"We'll get you something then, mate!" said Ron.

"You don't have to..." said Levina, but she knew perfectly well that she didn't feel that way.

"We will anyway," said Hermione.

And Levina continued to pet Lilypad's fur, smiling slightly.

The Hogwarts express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened. People were chasing backward and forward past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks now settled in an empty seat next to Lilypad, his squashed face turned toward Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket, where Scabbers was.

At one o'clock, the plump lady with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some fod."

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er-Professor?" she said. "Excuse me-Professor?"

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch as she handed Harry and Levina a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he _is _asleep?" said Ron quietly as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean-he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking a Cauldron cake.

Levina nibbled on the end of one thoughtfully. "I hope he's ok, he looks awfully ill."

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses.

Midafternoon, just as it had started to rain ("Rain!" said Levina happily), blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Draco Malfoy had been Levina's enemy ever since they met on the train on their first year at Hogwarts. He had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin House, and played Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Draco's bidding. They were both wide and musclely; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla-ish arms.

"Well, look who it is," said Draco in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty, Weasel, and SnowWeed."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly. Levina frowned.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Draco. "Did your mother die of shock?"

"Is this going to become a yearly thing for you?" said Levina, standing up along with Ron, who knocked Crookshank's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Who's that?" said Draco, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"New teacher," said Harry, also getting to his feet. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

"Yes, do tell, it was getting quite interesting," added Levina.

Draco's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Ta-ta," said Levina, waving him out with one hand.

Harry, Ron, and Levina sat down again.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," said Ron angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and-"

Ron made a violent gesture in midair.

"A good New Year's resolution," said Levina.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be _careful..."_

But Professor Lupin was still asleep.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the lugagge racks.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"Then why are we stopping?"

"Maybe something's wrong with the train," Levina suggested, sitting up to look out the window.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Harry got up to look into the corridor. Levina peeked out, too, and saw heads curiously sticking out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were pluned into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Levina felt her way back to her seat and scooped up Lilypad.

"Ow! Harry, you're pulling my hair," she added, making room for him.

"Sorry. D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

There was a squeaking sound, and Levina saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly slid open and someone fell over Harry's legs.

"Sorry-d'you know what's going on? -Ouch-sorry-"

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry.

"Hi, Neville," said Levina, moving away so that he wouldn't step on her foot.

"Harry? Levina? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea-sit down-"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Levina felt her slide past, heard the door slide open again, and a thud and two squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"What's going on?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione? Levina?"

"Yes!"

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron-"

"Come in and sit down-"

"Not here! _I'm _here!"

"Ouch!"

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have finally woken up at last. Levina could hear movements in his corner. None of them spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alter and wary.

"Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with the handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling, Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Levina's eyes darted downward, where a hand was protruding from the cloak, glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water.

But it was suddenly drawn back into the cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold overswept them all. Levina shivered and her very heart felt icy, her skin frozen.

Harry suddenly fell to the ground in a heavy faint and toppled over. Levina shrieked and Lupin strode over to the creature.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go."

The creature didn't move. Lupin muttered something, and a silvery light shot out of his wand at it, making it turn around and glide away.

Levina turned to Harry, who was twitching and writhing slightly.

"Harry, are you ok? Harry!"

The lights flickered back on and the train began to move again. Levina and Hermione knelt down, slapping his face.

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"

"W-what?"

Harry opened his eyes, pushed his glasses back on, and sat upright.

"Are you ok?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry. "What happened? Where's that-that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Levina, bewildered. "I mean, I screamed before you fainted, but..."

"No, I've heard you scream before; it wasn't you," said Harry. "But I heard screaming-"

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took it but didn't eat it.

"What was that thing?" He asked Lupin.

"A dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the dementors of Azkaban."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

And he dissappeared into the corridor.

Levina stared at the chunk of chocolate in her hand and took a small bite off the end of it. Instant warmth surged throug her body.

"Are you sure you're ok, Harry?" said Hermione.

"I don't get it...What happened?" said Harry, wiping sweat from his face.

"Well-that thing-the dementor-stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see it's face)-and you-and you-"

"Passed out," said Levina helpfully.

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching-"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked over to the dementor and he said, "None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"It was, like, below freezing," added Levina.

"I felt weird," said Ron, "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny, who was huddled in a corner, gave a small sob.

Hermione and Levina put their arms comfortingly around her.

"It's gone, Ginny," said Levina reassuringly. "And Harry's okay. Right, Harry?"

"Yeah, but...didn't any of you-fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"No," said Ron. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though."

Professor Lupin came back. He looked around, smiled, and said, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

Everyone took bites from their chocolate, and Levina finished hers, feeling warm again.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry muttered, embarrassed.

They didn't talk much on the remainder of the journey. Eventually, they reached Hogwarts. Levina placed Lilypad back in her cage and gathered her belongings, and together, they scrambled off the train and onto the tiny platform.

"Firs' years, this way!" called a familiar voice.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Levina turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform.

"All righ', you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd, but they could only wave at him because of the mass of people.

Climbing into a stagecoach, they took off down a muddy pathway and towards the iron gates.

Finally, when it swayed to a halt, they jumped down only to be welcomed by a delighted, drawling voice.

"You _fainted, _Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?"

Levina snarled at Draco as he advanced towards them, sneering.

"Get lost, Draco," she spat at him, pulling her luggage off the carriage.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron.

"Did you two faint as well, Weasley, SnowPetal? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too?"

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

"Oh, no-er-_Professor."_

And he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the stairs to the castle.

"Git," said Levina darkly, glaring after him.

The moment they entered the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall appeared and called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both."

They turned around, surprised.

"There's no need to look so worried-I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move alone there, SnowPetal, Weasley."

Levina shrugged at Ron. "They'll tell us when they get here."

Settling into a seat, Fred and George suddenly leapt into a seat on either side of Levina.

"Hey!"

"Hi!" Levina made room so that when Harry and Hermione returned, they'd have seats.

"Where's Harry and Hermione?"

"Professor McGonagall called them off for something."

"Huh," said George.

"Hope they don't miss the sorting. Hello, ickle Ronnie," Fred added to Ron.

Ron glared at his brothers. "Don't you two have anything better to do?"

"Fine, we'll just talk to Levina then."

"Joy," said Levina, but she was smiling.

And the Sorting began.

"I think we've got a good crowd of Gryffindors going this year," said Levina thoughtfully.

"Yeah," said Ron, "but there's also a lot of Slytherin first years."

Harry and Hermione suddenly dropped into the empty seats.

"Nice of you to join us," said Levina, making room for Hermione.

"What was that all about?" Ron muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain, but just then Dumbeldore stood up.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have very few things to say to you all, and one of them is very serious, I think its best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by the feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Akzaban."

As Dumbledore explained everything, Levina frequently shot looks at Harry, who still looked slightly pale.

But Levina noticed something as Dumbledore introduced Professor Lupin; Snape was looking at him with an incredible loathing, one he would give to Harry. Levina yet again looked at Harry, who this time returned her glance.

"Think he's plotting to kill him for the Dark Arts job?" Levina whispered.

"With that look, I'd say he's thinking more about feeding him to the Dementors," said Ron.

Levina was so busy laughing alonside Ron that she hardly caught the bit about Hagrid becoming the new Care of Magical creatures teacher.

"WHAT!" Levina jumped so abruptly that she knocked over her empty goblet. She joined into the Gryffindor applause heartily and placed the cup back upright.

"Smooth," said Fred, looking amused.

"Oh, shut up." Levina grinned back and finished clapping.

"Let the feast begin!"

Levina enjoyed every bite of food she could stuff in her mouth. Taking a rather large gulp of pumpkin juice, she nearly choked laughing at one of the jokes the twins were telling.

And after congratulating Hagrid and going up to the dorm, Levina went to bed after tightening her necklace and letting Lilypad out of her cage, smiling, and feeling at home at last.


	2. Buckbeak and a 'dying' Draco Malfoy

**Hi, guys! Sorry I didn't say much last chapter, I was trying to get it posted quickly!**

**Victoria Pendragon: I know, right? Even I'm excited! Of course, the big stuff between them doesn't begin until the fourth book (The Yule Ball...hmm...) :)**

**OH! And I'd like to apologize for my many typos: In Book Two, I just looked through it again, and I made mistakes like Snape saying, "A bad idea, Lockhart," said Lockart, and "How do you know I'm not Fred?" said Fred. Just wanted to clear a few things up, I thought I had fixed those...**

**And did I say Artemis was the name of her owl last chapter? Ooops. I meant Athena.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Levina would be in it. Huh. She isn't. Guess I don't own the movies/books.**

**Enjoy chapter two:)**

When Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Levina entered the Great Hall that morning, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Draco did a ridiculous swooning impression fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"Ignore him," said Hermione to Harry, walking behind them. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it..."

"Hey Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! _Woooooo!_"

"Someone punch her for me," Levina muttered through gritted teeth. "Her and Draco."

Levina dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table next to George Weasley and Harry.

"Next third-year schedules," said George, sliding them over. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down with Levina and glaring at the Slytherin table.

George looked up in time to see Draco pretending to faint with terror again.

"That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," said Fred with a contemtuous glare at Draco.

"I wasn't so happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those dementors..."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry demanded.

"Forget it, Harry," said George.

"Oi, Levina," said Fred, leaning across the table. "Thought I was going to show you where your Diviniation class was?"

"Oh, right!" Levina hastily finished her toast. "Let's go."

Harry looked up. "Hey, we have that next, too."

"Brilliant!" Levina grinned. "I'll meet you guys there."

Leading Levina out of the hall, Fred turned down the hall and towards the North Tower.

As they walked, Levina flipped through her _Unfogging the Future _book.

"This stuff is so odd," said Levina. "Do you think any of this is true?"

"I wouldn't bet any Galleons on it," said Fred. "Anyways, it's great to see you again this year. Necklace buggin' you?"

Levina had been fingering it subconciously. "Oh. No, I was just wondering if my mom thought I had anger issues or something..."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, it makes me slightly more calm sometimes." Levina closed her book and stuffed it into her bag. Her bag gave a loud hiss.

"What the-"

Lilypad leapt from inside her black book bag and landed on the floor, her bell jingling as she skidded on the tile.

"Lil-_y,_" Levina protested. "You know I hate it when you hide in my bag!"

Fred laughed. "You _do _have anger issues. Against felines!"

Levina punched his shoulder playfully. "Yes, that must be why I wear this. So I don't abuse my cat!" Levina mimed kicking Lilypad, who hissed again and ran off.

Going up a spiral staricase, Levina and Fred reached the top and he waved a quick goodbye.

"I'll warn you!" he called as he left. "Trelawney's a bit...off her rocker!"

"Thanks for the advise."

Not long after he left, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came up, looking out of breath.

"What happened?"

"Got lost," Ron panted. "Followed this guy on a fat pony in a picture."

Levina smiled. "You should have come with us."

Inside the class, Levina glanced around, smelling the thickly-perfumed air.

"Where is she?" said Ron.

"Welcome," a voice said suddenly from the shadows. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Levina stared at her and stifled a laugh. She looked like a glittering insect. Did Fred mean her style of clothing was off its rocker?

"Sit, my children, sit."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all gathered at a round table. Levina awkwardly sat onto a pouf.

"Welcome to Diviniation. My name is Proffessor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the school fogs the Inner Eye."

Levina hit her head on the desk. This was going to be a long class.

* * *

By Care of Magical Creatures class, Levina was exhausted. She was glad to be over with Trelawney and 'the Grim'. The fresh air of the outside was sweet and beckoning, making Levina think of Quidditch. She couldn't wait to be up in the air again, whacking Bludgers away from Harry with Fred and George.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here! he called. "That's it-make sure yeh can see-now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" said the old, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. Levina shot a glare at him. He better not ruin her time outside.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated.

He did, however, make a point. Levina took out her Monster Book, which was bound by Spellotape. It growled at her and she nervously looked up at Hagrid.

"Hasn'-hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter _stroke _'em," said Hagrid, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look-"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. He ran a giant finger down its spine, and the book shivered, and fell open and lay quiet in his hand/

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered. "We should have _stroked _them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I-I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Draco. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

"I hope the book eats you," Levina added in a whisper.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, "so-yeh've got yer books an'-an'-now yeh need the Magical creatures. Yeah. So I'll go get 'em. Hang on..."

He strode away from them and into the forest and out of sight.

"God, this place has gone to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"

"Shut your trap, Draco!" Levina snarled, anger level rising. "Yap, yap, yap, is that all you're capable of doing?"

Draco looked stunned for a moment. Before he could speak, Lavender Brown squealed, "Oooooh!"

Trotting towards them were a dozen bizarre creatures. They had the bodies of a horse and the front legs and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

"Wow," said Levina, eyes wide.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together. "if yeh want ter come a bit nearer-"

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Levina stepped forward boldly.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.

"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's plite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right-who wants tet go first?"

Everyone looked slightly nervous.

"No one?" said Hagrid with a pleading look.

"I'll do it," said Harry.

"Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then-let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeack."

He untied one of the chains. The class on the other side of the fence was holding its breath. Draco looked malicious.

"Easy now, Harry, you'll be firs'," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contace, not try not ter blink..."

Levina sucked in a low breath as she watched.

"That's it," said Hagrid, "That's it, Harry...now, bow..."

Harry gave a short bow and sat up.

After a moment, Buckbeack lowered his head in a bow.

"Well done, Harry! Right-yeh can touch him!"

Harry patted his beak nervously. The class burst into applause.

"Righ', then, Harry, now yeh can ride him!"

Harry's face went pale.

Harry climbed onto its back and held on slightly.

"Don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."

"Go on, then!"

Without warning, Buckbeak took off into the sky.

Levina inclined her head slightly to look up as he soared high above them.

"Wow!" Levina beamed. "They're quite an amazing pair, aren't they?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically as she watched.

Draco looked particularly sour. "Big deal," he muttered.

Levina ignored him. "I _so _have to do that."

Buckbeak landed down on the ground with a loud _THUMP._

"Good work, Harry! Okay, who else wants a go?"

Levina found one towards the front by Buckbeak and bowed akwardly to it. The hippogriff bowed in kind and she hesitantly approached, stroking it's feathers.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Drac, who was patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," he drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him. "I knew you must have been, is Potter could do it. I bet you aren't dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you big ugly brute?"

Levina turned on him instantly to snarl something.

In a flash of steely talons, Draco let out a high-pitched scream and in the next moment Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Draco, who lay curled up on the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.

Levina felt her hands touch her mouth. She raced over, not thinking, and bent down beside him. "Oh, gosh-"

"I'm dying! I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dying!" said Hagrid, looking very white. "Someone help me-gotta get him outta here-Levina! Can you help me hoist im' up?"

Levina wondered about the kindest way to say, "Heck, no!", but she decided it was no use and reached over to help carry his head.

Helping him into the hall, Hagrid looked incredibly pale.

"Err-not ter leave yeh hangin' there, Levina, but...I have ter go lock up the rest of the hippogriffs. Can yeh take him ter the hospital wing."

Levina drew in a long breath. "Um."

"Thanks!"

And with that, Hagrid ran back outside.

Draco was moaning and muttering different variations of "I'm dying."

"Oh, please shut up."

Feeling warm blood drench her clothes, she draped one of his arms over her shoulders and awkwardly stumbled down the hall.

"SnowPetal?"

Draco's grey eyes had opened.

"You're in hell. Mwaha." Levina hoped she was convincing.

He winced. "I'm dead."

"Yes, you are," said Levina, feeling his weight drag her down as she attempted to pull him down the hallway. "When _I _get through with you."

Draco's eyes narrowed, but he quickly followed it up with a faint moan of pain.

"Ah, save it for the judge," said Levina.

Draco stared at her.

"Err. Muggle thing."

"Why are _you _helping me?"

"Does it look like I want to be?"

Finally, they reached the Hospital Wing. Levina helped him into a bed and sat down on one herself, panting.

"You're heavy, you know that?"

Madam Pomfrey came in and checked out his wounds after a moment, wiping the blood away.

"Oh, stop your moanin'," said Madam Pomfrey as she got out a medicine bottle. "It's not that bad. Miss SnowPetal? Can you pass me some bandages?"

Levina reached into a cabinet and pulled several out.

"Here, watch him for a minute, will you? I'm going to go get a potion from Proffessor Snape."

Levina hit her head on the cabinet. "Sure, sure, anything for anyone," she mumbled as Madam Pomfrey left the room. "That's why I'm here, to do favors for the dramatic blondie."

Draco drank some sort of blue liquid. "You'll get over it, SnowWeed."

"LEVINA." Levina sat down on the bed beside him and pulled out her Transfiguration homework.

"Mind doing mine, too? As you can see, my arm is incapable of writing."

"Bite me." Levina pulled out a quill and scribbled down on the parchment.

After a few more minutes, Madam Pomfrey returned. Levina stood up.

"Hope that's Skele-grow," Levina snarled, remembering Harry's great pain after drinking it.

Racing out as fast as she could, she returned to the common room. It was dark out now and only Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George remained by the fire, doing their homework.

"I hate Draco."

They all looked up.

"Don't we all?" said Ron. "How is he now?"

"You'd think he broke all the bones in his body." Levina sat down and pulled out her homework again. "Hermione, can I have help on this?"

* * *

Draco didn't reappear in class until late Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double-potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Levina's oppionion, like he was a heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," said Draco, putting on a brave sort of grimace. He winked at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy looked away.

Levina's blood began to boil angrily.

"Settle down, settle down," said Proffessor Snape idly.

Draco set his cauldron in between Harry and Levina with his ingredients on the same table. Levina pretended to not see him and continued cutting her roots.

"Sir," Draco called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm-"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him."

Ron went brick red.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Draco.

"Weasley, you heard Proffessor Snape; cut up these roots."

Ron seized his knife, pulled Draco's roots towards him, and began to chop them roughly into different sizes.

"Proffessor," dralwed Draco. "Weasleys's mutilating my roots."

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley," said Snape, approaching their table lime a bat.

"But, sir-"

"_Now._"

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Draco, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig."

Harry did it hastily and tossed it back.

"And also, sir, my green leaves too?"

"SnowPetal, cut Malfoy's green leaves."

Levina felt her eyes ablaze with anger.

"Certainly," she answered calmly. She took the leaves and began slicing them, her jaw clenched firmly.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" He asked them quietly.

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Draco in a tone of mock sorrow. Levina stopped cutting the leaves. "Father's not happy about my injury-"

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron.

"-he's complained to the school governors, you know. _And _to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this-who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again."

"So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry angrily.

"Well, _partly_, Potter. But there are other benefits, too. Weasley, slice my caterpillar roots for me."

"'I have got a lot of influence, you know,'" said Levina in an imitaion of Draco's father. "'With an injury like that, my son won't be able to brush out my girlishly long hair for me. Quite disasterous.'"

Ron and Harry roared with laughter and Draco glared at her.

"Least I got a father," he snarled back.

Levina clenched the knife in her hands. "Not for long, if you keep it up."

"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape nearby, ladling some of Neville's potion up and allowing it to drop back into the cauldron. "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you heard me say quite clearly that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right-"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

"Hermione was just trying to help!" Levina protested. "You don't have to-"

"Keep it up, SnowPetal, and we'll test the potion on that cat of yours as well."

Levina grew silent.

"Hey, Harry!" said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over, "have you heard? _The Daily Prophet_ this morning-they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted!"

"Where?" said Ron, Harry, and Levina quickly.

"Not too far from here. It was a muggle who saw him. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."

"My sister claims to have saw him," Levina whispered, "but I think she was just trying to freak me out."

"Not far from here..." Ron repeated.

Levina turned back. Draco was watching them

"What, Malfoy?" said Harry. "Need something else skinned?"

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now, I wouldn't be staying here in the school like a good boy. I'd be out there looking for him."

"Well you're not Harry, now are you?" Levina snarled back. "And you wouldn't, you little chicken, especially if you cry Bloody Murder over a small injury..."

"What are you even talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron.

"Don't you _know, _Potter?"

"Know what?"

"Maybe you'd better not risk your neck. Want to leave the dementors to it, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge."

"_What are you talking about_?" Harry said angrily, but at that moment Snape called for everyone to stop.

Snape picked up Trevor the toad and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion. He trickled a few drops down its throat.

There was a moment of hushed silence. Then, there was a small pop, and Trevor became a tadpole.

The Gryffindors burst into applause. Looking sour, Snape pulled out a bottle frm his robe, dropped a bit on Trevor, and he reappeared, fully grown.

"Five points from Gryffindor. I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

* * *

**Hi guys! Sorry this was such a short chapter-I don't have a lot of time to type these days! :(**

**Anyway, stay tuned for chapter three!**

**Review!**

**Things to come: Boggarts, Lupin's class, and secrets?**


	3. Boggarts and Hogsmeade

**Hey faithful readers! (I presume you are, unless you're just skipping chapters and books...) Sorry I haven't been on in a while! Bad habit.**

**Victoria Pendragon: Yeah, he is a big baby, but that's why we love him, right? :)**

**Flying Werecats: Yeah haha it's ok, my internet really sucks sometimes. Thanks, I love it when people enjoy my writing; and I meant for him to mean more of a "you'll get used to it" sorta thing, but I suppose he could mean that too ;)**

**savvygirl101LunaRachel: Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like Levina too! And yeah, I love the Prisoner of Azkaban (although it's difficult to fit Levina into) and I can't wait for the HBP and DH! (I saw the Deathly Hallows twice!)**

**Anyways...**

**Disclaimer: I own Levina SnowPetal and Draco Malfoy. (Just kidding. Gotta mix things up once and a while.) I just own Levina.**

Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged and Levina excitedly re-stashed her books and note-taking journal she'd received from Ron at Christmas a year ago. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy, Lupin-"

Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect to the teachers. Levina looked over at Lupin to find he was smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

Peeves paid no attention to his words except to blow a loud wet raspberry.

Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He raised his wand to shoulder height, said, "_Waddiwasi!" _and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves' left nostril; he whirled up-right and zoomed away, cursing.

"Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement.

"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?"

They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Proffessor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Proffessor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Neville went scarlett; Levina felt herself begin to fume, her eyes narrowed angrily at Snape, but Proffessor Lupin merely raised his eyebrows.

"I was hoping Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville burned even more red.

Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap.

"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a boggart in there."

"Come again?" asked Levina.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath the beds, the cupboards under sinks-I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This _one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is _a boggart?"

Levina looked instantly at Hermione, who, sure enough, put up her hand.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become what each of us fear most.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Hermione's hand nearly whacked Levina in the face. Harry looked slightly confused, but he answered anyway.

"Er-because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape to be?"

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking disappointed. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake-tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is very simple, yet requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes off a boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please..._riddikulus!"_

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin, "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

Neville looked terrified; Levina wondered what his biggest fear was, but at the same time wondered hers. What was she afraid of?

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

"Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed.

"Professor Snape...hmmm...Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er-yes," said Neville nervously. "But- I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Lupin, smling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

"Well...always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green, normally..."

"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.

"A big red one," said Neville.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes."

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. And you will raise your wand-thus-and cry 'Riddikulus'-and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter. Levina had to cover her mouth to keep from snorting loudly.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart will shift its attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to be comical..."

What was Levina's greatest fear? Voldemort? The Dementors? The Boggart itself? Maybe her cousin on a bad hair day?

Beside her, Harry looked slightly pale and shuddered. Levina wondered who he was thinking about. Ron, however, was pretty obvious, and kept murmuring, "Take its legs off..."

"Everyone ready?" said Proffessor Lupin.

Levina had a sudden lurch of fear. No, she most certainly was not. She was curious, though.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot-"

They all retreated and backed against the wall, leaving poor frightened and pale Neville all alone.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One-two-three-_now!_"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Proffessor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down on him, reaching inside his robes.

"_R-r-riddikulus!" _squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned toward Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, draggint its feet, its stiff arm rising-

"_Riddikulus!" _cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" Roared Proffessor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.

_Crack!_ Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face- a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end-

"_Riddikulus!"_

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

_Crack!_ The Banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then-_crack!-_becoming a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before-_crack!_-becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"

_Crack! _The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to crawl along the floor like a crab.

"_Riddikulus!" _yelled Dean.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap. Levina began to wonder what she would have to do to make her fear funny.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

Ron leapt forward.

_Crack!_

Quite a few people screamed, including Levina herself. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then-

_"Riddikulus!" _bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Levina's feet.

_Crack!_

Levina wanted nothing more than to look away, but what she saw surprised her, for the Boggart had indeed transformed into-

herself.

Bewildered, Levina watched as an almost exact replica of herself grinned quite devilishly back at her and began to advance on her, fangs pointed and growing and hair lengthening-

_"R-Riddikulus!"_Levina stammered.

Boggart-Levina stumbled, skidding as if on ice, and tripped, landing-face first in front of Harry.

Harry raised his wand, ready, but-

"Here!" shouted Proffessor Lupin, hurrying forward.

_Crack!_

The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "_Riddikulus!" _almost lazily.

_Crack!_

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. _Crack! _Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.

"_Riddikulus!" _he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter and, the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"Exellent!" cried Proffessor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart-ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry."

"But I didn't do anything," said Harry.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, everyone began to make their way out of the staffroom.

As Lupin turned to walk away, he suddenly paused in front of Levina, staring down at her.

"May I ask where you got that necklace, Levina?"

This took Levina completely by surprise. "Err. It was my mom's."

Lupin studied her for a moment, nodded, and turned away.

Odd.

Levina hurried out to catch up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else, longing to know about her necklace even more than before.

"Did you see me take that banshee?" shouted Seamus.

"And the hand!" said Dean, waving his own around.

"And Snape in the hat!"

"And my mummy!"

"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" said Lavender thoughtfully.

"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their was back to the classroom to get their bags.

"He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly. "I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart-"

"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got a nine out of ten?"

"What about you?" Hermione asked Levina, ignoring Ron. "How come you saw yourself?"

Levina didn't know the answer either.

"Maybe she's afraid of herself," chortled Ron.

"I don't think I'm afraid of myself," said Levina, tilting her head to one said. "I mean, maybe my anger issues..."

At the start of October, Levina couldn't help but be in good spirits. Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting one Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new team.

"This is our last chance- _my_last chance-to win the Quidditch cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world-injuries-then the tournament getting called off last year..." Wood swalloed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the _best-ruddy-team-in-the-school,_" he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye.

"We've got three _superb _Chasers."

Wood pointed at Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.

"We've got three _unbeatable _Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George together, hugging Levina close to them and pretending to blush.

"Thanks, Wood," said Levina, beaming.

"And we've got a who has _never failed to win us a match!" _Wood rumbled, glancing at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name written on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Definitely," said Harry.

"For sure," said Levina.

Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Levina's thoughts of winning the huge, silver Quidditch cup.

Levina returned to the common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but happy to have had such a good practice, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What's happened?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry and Levina through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

Levina laughed and took a seat next to him by the fire. "I've never been, but it sounds cool."

Harry threw himself into a chair, his spirits seeming to melt.

"What's up?" asked Levina.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," said Hermione. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He'sbeen sighted once already."

"You can't go?" Levina bolted upright in the armchair. "Why not?"

"Dursleys and Black," said Harry, looking gloomy.

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages-"

_"Ron!" _said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay _in school_-"

"He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on Harry-"

"Yeah, I think I will," said Harry.

"Back me up on this, will you?" said Hermione to Levina, exasperated. "Being a girl, surely you know how mad this is-"

"Actually, I think he _should _ask," said Levina.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks, followed closely by Lilypad, leaptlightly into Hermione's lap. Lilypad curled up in Levina's lap.

A large, dead spider was dangling from Crookshanks' mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you find that all by yourself?" said Hermione.

Crookshanks slowly chewed up the spider, his eyes fixed insolently on Ron.

"Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

Levina kept a tight grip on Lilypad, making sure she didn't run off, and turned to Fred.

"Oh, and by the way, thanks for getting that bludger for me," she said sarcastically.

"You're a _beater,_" said Fred, grinning. "You're supposed to get rid of them _yourself._"

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to hit it that hard," she complained, touching a small bruise on her elbow.

Then, without warning, Crookshanks pounced.

"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Apparently thinking it looked like fun, Lilypad happily leapt onto the bag as well, her claws clutching onto it, looking pleased.

"Lily, no!" cried Levina. "Bad cat!"

"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top-

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks fired himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over to the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George Weasley made a lung for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers.

Crookshanks skidded to a halt, Lilypad right behind him, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Hermione grabbed Crookshanks and Levina pulled Lilypad away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him! And you too!" He added to Levina.

"It's not _my _fault," said Levina, smoothing Lilypad's fur. "Crookshanks is a bad influence on her!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could _smell _him, Ron, how else do you think-"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignroing the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, _and _he's ill! Lilypad didn't even used to go after him until that stupid furball showed up!"

Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boy's dormitories.

On Halloween morning, Levina awoke excitedly and went down to breakfast with a bit of a skip. Today was the trip to Hogsmeade, which would be followed up by a huge feast in the Great Hall.

"We'll bring you back lots of sweets from Honeydukes," said Hermione, loolking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficult ties.

"I'm really sorry you can't go, Harry," said Levina sadly, "but I promise to bring back as much as I can carry." She held up her large black bag to emphasize the point.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, but he still sounded slightly bitter and in low spirits, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

He accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch was checking off names to make sure no one snuck out.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Draco, who was standing in the line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the dementors?"

"Shut your face," Levina advised. "Let's see you take one on for yourself..."

But Harry ignored him and headed back up the marble staircase.

"Poor Harry," said Levina sadly. "My Uncle signed mine for me."

"Where should we go first?" said Hermione, glancing around the area.

"How about Honeydukes?" said Ron, his eyes seeming to glow. "I heard they have some new fudge!"

The three of them raced inside to find a huge store loaded with assorted candies and sweets, making Levina's mouth water. She loved sweet things.

"Look, free fudge samples!" said Ron happily. He reached for one eagerly and stuffed it in his mouth, grabbing for another.

"They're free, right?" said Hermione nervously. "So it wouldn't be wrong to take one for Harry?"

"Who cares?" said Levina, stuffing her bag with it.

Levina grabbed as much stuff as she could; Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconute ice, fat, honey-colored toffeees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Wheezbies, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Toothflossing Stringmints, Ice Mice, peppermint creams shaped like toads, exploding bon-bons, fragile sugar-spun quills, and _more._

At the counter, Levina paid for loads of stuff that she placed in her bag, which seemed to have grown three sizes. Ron and Hermione were examining black Pepper Imps in the corner, chatting happily. Levina was glad to see they weren't fighting.

Afterwards, they visited the post office, where there were at least two hundred owls sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you wanted your letters to get there.

Then, they hit Zonko's, which had tons of jokes that Levina found Fred and George might like, next Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, and then to The Three Broomsticks.

"I'll get drinks," said Hermione and Ron at the same time. They looked at each other.

"You both go," said Levina cheerfully, nibbling on a fudge sample. "I'll save us a seat."

Levina sat down and patted her cheeks, which were burning red and cold. It felt good to be indoors, and Levina laughed under her breath as she watched Ron go up to Madam Rosmerta, a pretty woman at the front, and begin acting very foolishly, blushing. Hermione shot him an irritated look, but she was still smiling.

"Potter afraid he might faint again?"

Oh no. Not the drawling voice. Not here.

Draco Malfoy sat straight down next to Levina in the booth. Nearby, Crabbe and Goyle were cutting in front of Hermione and Ron.

"Oh, please be an evil figment of my imagination," Levina moaned, "please don't really let it be you."

"You afraid of the dementors too?" Draco drawled as if she hadn't said anything. "Hiding in here from them?"

"What about you?" Levina muttered through gritted teeth. "_You're _in here."

Draco merely shrugged and kicked his feet up on the table casually. "You know, Father says-"

"What are you, a daddy's boy or something?" Levina snapped, shoving his legs off the table. "Father this, _Father _that."

"Jealous you don't have one?" he sneered.

"GO. AWAY!" Levina spat, moving away from him on the seat. "And for the record, I'd rather _not _have one if I were to end up as someone as foul as _you!_"

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but right then Hermione and Ron returned.

"Oi, what're you doing here?" Ron snarled.

"I could ask the same of you," said Draco, "I mean, how can you afford that butterbeer there? Must have cost you your entire money for the year-"

"OUT!" Levina shoved him hard off the seat angrily. "Go, go, go! Get out!"

Looking slightly surprised, he shrugged and headed over to his seat with Crabbe and Goyle, smirking.

"Git," Ron muttered darkly, sitting down and passing Levina a butterbeer.

"Mmmm!" said Levina appreciatively. "This is really good!"

"Sweet tooth?" Ron guessed as he and Hermione slid in on her left side.

"Mm-hmm," Levina answered, sipping away at the warm drink and earning a cloud of white foam on her upper lip.

"Hey, you three."

Fred and George had appeared, also each holding a butterbeer. They slid in on Levina's right side.

"Cheers," said Fred, holding up his glass. They all clanked them together.

"See Zonko's joke shop yet?" Levina guessed.

"Of course," said George. "We're the experts in pranks, as you know."

"Levina, you have foam on your lip," said Fred. He reached out and wiped it off gently. Levina suddenly stiffened at his touch.

"Um. Thanks." Levina awkwardly stared down into her butterbeer glass, watching the white foam circling in it and the steam rising. She wondered why she was still all red, having come out of the cold a while ago.

"Yup," said Fred cheerfully, taking a gulp of his butterbeer. "You lot bringing anything back for Harry?"

"Of course," said Hermione, holding up a bag full of sweets.

"Think we can smuggle some butterbeer?" said Ron.

"Doubt it," said George.

"Is that an ogre?" asked Ron, pointing across the bar.

There was a large creature sitting in the corner alone, looking slightly out of place.

"Whoa!" said Levina.

"They get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks, don't they?" said Ron thoughtfully.

Right then, there was some commotion outside, and they could faintly hear Filch calling all the students back in.

"Aw," said Levina sadly. "Time to go back."

Once they reached the common room, Levina, Ron, and Hermione dumped a pile of colored sweets on Harry's lap. They explained everything they'd done and Harry eagerly tasted all the candies.

"Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And Snape came in..."

He told them about how he'd given Lupin a goblet full of a steaming potion. Ron's mouth fell open.

"_Lupin drank it?" _he gasped. "Is he mad?"

"He must be way too trusting if he let _Snape _make him something!" Levina agreed. "Does he have a death wish?"

Hermione checked her watch.

"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes..."

They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.

"But if he-you know-" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing around nervously- "if he _was _trying-to posion Lupin-he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall.

"Yeah, but maybe he was hoping Harry would drink some of it, too," said Levina. "Poison two people at a time...he'd be sad Neville and I weren't there too..."

The Grwat Hall was decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

The food was delicious. Even full of Honeydukes fudge and butterbeer, Levina, Hermione, and Ron managed to get second helpings on everything.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched be-heading.

"The dementors send their love, Potter!" Draco called across the hall as they left the feast, but Harry didn't seem the least bit bothered.

"I think he's wearing out that joke," said Levina; only three of the Slytherins laughed.

When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found the corridor jammed with students.

"What's going on?" said Ron curiously.

Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"I wonder what's up...?" said Levina.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password- excuse me, I'm Head Boy-"

And then a silence fell over the crowd. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.

"Beats me," whispered Levina, trying to stand on her tiptoes.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closed to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my-" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been so viciously slashed that strips of canvas littered the floor.

Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professor McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying towards him.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly.

"Ashamed, Your Headhship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

**Yes! Finally done with this chapter! **

**Hey everyone, so sorry there was basically almost no Draco in this chapter whatsoever, but I promise to fit him in more! (He just isn't in the book a lot right now) **

**Anyways, please review; reviews always keep me motivated and going!**

**Things to come: Cedric Diggory, Quidditch (AGAIN), werewolves, and more.**


	4. Quidditch, of course

**Hello! Yet again, sorry for my delay on this, and some small typos in chapter three.**

**Flyingwerecats: Hmm, perhaps, perhaps, but I'm afraid I can't spoil any Fred/Levina things for you! And yes, I'm sure Draco won't be pleased at all.(:**

**Silvermoony77: Oh, wow! Thanks for the elaborate review! :) And yeah, I have a lot of errors (mostly because I'm doing these on the Document Manager thing), but I'm trying to correct them! (Like last chapter, I think I spelled the Great Hall as 'Gweat'.) Anyways, I reas your stories! It's like mine, going by the books, and it's very creative! I left a couple of reviews to show my appreciation.**

**Disclaimer: Hello everyone, I'm JK Rowling. In my spare time, I like to get on Fanfiction and write love stories about Draco and a character Levina. Haha just kidding; but really, saying "I don't own Harry Potter" is getting pretty boring...**

**Anyways... Enjoy the story.**

* * *

Proffessor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors to sleep in the Great Hall, where they werre joined ten minutes later by the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins.

Levina had found a purple squashy sleeping bag next to Hermione and was helping Lilypad get comfortable on the edge of it.

"Strange turn of events."

Fred and George had appeared. Fred dropped onto the sleeping bag beside Levina, and George sat on the one on Fred's other side.

"Yeah, I hope the Fat Lady is ok," said Hermione, slipping into her sleeping bag.

"And why the Gryffindor Tower of all things?" said Levina. Everyone looked at Harry, who was about to answer when-

"Yes, it is a shame, isn't it?" said a familiar drawling voice.

"Does it hurt if you sleep on it?" simpered another voice.

Levina looked up to see Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Crabbe and Goyle. Draco was holding his arm and looking wounded.

"Oh, dear lord," groaned Levina, pulling her sleeping bag up over her head.

Draco glanced over. "Happy to see me, SnowWeed?"

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, glaring.

"Is this how you sleep at home?" he asked, looking from Ron to the twins with a smirk.

Ron's ears went scarlett. Pansy let out a loud shriek of laughter.

"Can you not do that here?" Levina snapped at Pansy, peeking out from inside her sleeping bag. "Some people are actually trying to sleep."

"Is this how you sleep too, SnowWeed?" sneered Draco, re-directing his attention to Levina.

"No, I'm not usually there," retorted Fred; he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Levina jumped, startled, and she felt her face go pink.

Draco's smirk faded. The side of his lip twitched as if he was trying to say something, but couldn't find the right words.

"That's right," said George, glaring at Draco. "Least' we got friends here and don't have to hold Daddy's arm when we sleep at home."

"Don't talk to Draco like that!" shrieked Pansy, but at that moment, Percy strolled by, his nose in the air.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked; then he spotted Draco. "Slytherins, go to your section of the Hall, please."

Draco gestured for the others to follow, looking back over his shoulder as he went.

Fred unwrapped his arm and make conversation with George, leaving Levina sitting in silence, her skin burning.

"Lights out!" called Percy.

And Levina found herself never more thankful to go to sleep.

* * *

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch game drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever, but Levina found herself a bit off through most of the practice.

"Levina!" Wood called, exasperated. "Get your head out of the clouds! Harry nearly got hit with that last bludger!"

"Sorry!" Levina clutched her club in her hand and swung it at the nearest Bludger, her mind still somewhere else.

There was a combination of things troubling her, but she knew it shouldn't get in the way of her Quidditch practice. With a great dive, she knocked a second Bludger out of the way before it hit Katie Bell.

At their final training session, Wood brought the team unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm is still injured. But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

"There's _nothing wrong _with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's just faking it!"

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly. "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-"

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this light-hearted behavior.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they giggled again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We're playing in completely different conditions!" said Wood, his eyes bulging slightly "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We musn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us. We _must _win!"

"Calm down, Oliver," said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. _Seriously._"

"I've never seen Cedric," said Levina thoughtfully to the trio of giggling girls.

"That's because he's so quiet," giggled Katie. "Doesn't talk much."

"Oh, well, I'll see him at the match," said Levina, shrugging.

"You'll absolutely _die _when you see him," said Alicia, holding her sides from laughter. "Try not to hit him with a Bludger; don't want to damage his face!"

* * *

Levina got up early that morning and entered the Great Hall, her stomach churning over the match to come later in the day.

When she opened the door, she found Harry, who looked rather pale, sitting on the bench, staring at his porridge.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully, dropping into a seat across from him and stuffing a slice of toast in her mouth.

"Hey." Harry looked up from beneath his glasses; his face was slightly green.

"You'll do brilliant," said Levina encouragingly, but he didn't seem all that convinced.

"I have to go up against that Diggory guy," he mumbled.

"It's like Fred said," said Levinathrough a mouthful of toast, "'All brawns and no brains!'"

Harry smiled faintly. "I hope so."

Not that much later, the rest of the Quidditch team entered, Oliver leading them in at the front.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," Alicia was saying soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. Just before she entered the locker room, Levina saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at Harry from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head helplessly and beckoned them to follow him.

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out on the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder.

The Hufflepuffswere approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood, but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded.

"Mount your brooms."

Levina tugged her boot out of the mud and climbed aboard her broom. She shot Harry a faint thumbs-up as rain splattered her hair and blurred her vision.

Madam Hooch put the whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant-and they were off.

Levina rose into the air and shot off, focusing her mind onto the game. Fred and George rose beside her, disappearing into the pounding rain and mist.

Within five minutes, she was soaked and freezing cold. Her skin felt like ice and brown strands of her hair stuck to her face.

Suddenly, a bludger rocketed past her ear, nearly missing her. She gave chase and whacked it away from Alicia, who sped past in a hurry.

She lost track of time. The sky was darkening as if night had decided to arrive early. Levina squinted through the rain, her hands slipping on the broom and her club.

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Levina could barely make out Wood's figure waving to them from the ground. The team splashed down into the mud and it soaked Levina's robes.

"I called for a time out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here-"

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?"

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

Levina was about to suggest he consider contacts when Hermione appeared at Harry's shoulder.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the rest of the team watched in amazement, she tapped them with her wand and said, "_Impervious!"_

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked like he could have kissed her.

"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"

Levina rose back into the air, rubbing her own eyes as rain entered them. It was nearly impossible to spot the bludgers on the field and she barely missed hitting one away from Harry. At some point, she even almost slipped right off her broom.

"All right there, Levina?" called George over the thunder.

"Yeah!" she choked back, panting as she clutched her club with a tighter grip.

That's when something happened; a dozen cloaked figures streaked past her silently through the mist. Levina blinked rain from her eyelashes just in time to see the figure of Harry plummetting from the sky.

"HARRY!" she shrieked, streaking at him at top speed, but it was no use; she would never be able to reach him in time.

Then, he slowed, his rapid pace as he fell declining. Dumbledore had run out onto the field, looking outraged and rather scary. He shouted something-probably a spell-and a great silvery strand of light emitted from his wand and the dementors that were hovering above scattered.

She shot back to the ground, leaping off her broom and sending mud everywhere, and ran to Harry's side. He was knocked out.

"Harry-Harry!" she shook his shoulder. "Harry?"

When she glanced upward, she saw his broom, now unoccupied by its owner, zooming away across the sky and out of sight.

Cedric Diggory had landed, the Snitch fluttering pitifully in his fingers. He took one look at Harry and frowned.

"We'll call a re-match."

"No." Wood looked incredibly pained and distraught. "You won fair and square."

"Harry?" Levina was still shaking his shoulder, frightened. "Is he breathing?"

She stifled a small sob as Hermione and Ron raced down to the field. They came to a halt next to her and Hermione uttered a gasp.

"Harry!" Hermione dropped to her knees and Levina could see tears forming in her eyes. Ron put a hand awkwardly on her shoulder.

"He's all right," said Fred. He had appeared next to Levina.

"Did the dementors get him?" Levina whispered between broken breaths, tears welling up in her own eyes.

"Yeah."

And he drew her into an embrace, which was very awkward seeing as they were dripping with mud and rain, but Levina didn't object. She refused to completely break down on his shoulder, but she drew in a sharp breath several times.

When she broke away from him, Dumbledore was magicking Harry onto a stretcher. He began to walk up to the school with Harry floating on it and Levina trembled, but it wasn't from the cold.

"He'll be fine," Ron was saying to an incredibly distraught Hermione, who was practically sobbing next to Ron, who had an arm around her shoulders.

Levina, gaining control of herself, gave Hermione a hug. "Ron and Fred are right," she soothed, "Harry'll be okay."

Not long after, the entire Quidditch team changed into their clothes and headed up to the hospital wing to visit Harry, who was still passed out.

Wood hadn't come with them; he was taking an exceptionally long shower, letting them all go ahead of him.

"Hello," came a squeaky voice. Proffessor Flitwick had entered the room. He was holding something splintered and raggedy. Levina felt her stomach plummet.

"Is that...Harry's broom?" Hermione whispered, wiping her red eyes.

"It hit the Whomping Willow, and..." Flitwick nodded as if he needn't go on.

"Thanks for bringing it up," said Levina, taking it from him. It was horribly torn and the wood was sticking out in all directions.

"Lucky the ground was so soft," said George as Flitwick left.

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

"That was the scariest thing I've seen in my entire life."

Harry's eyes suddenly snapped open. Hermione stopped rubbing her blood-shot eyes and looked down at him.

"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "How're you feeling?"

"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly that they all gasped.

"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been-what-fifty feet?"

"We thought you died," said Alicia, who was shaking.

Hermione made a small, squeaky noise.

"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. Levina's eyes met her shoes.

"We didn't-_lose?_"

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and sqaure...even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before," said George."

"It wasn't even your fault," said Levina, patting his back softly. "It was the dementors; there was nothing you could do."

"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."

"It all depends on the points-a margin of a hundred either way-"

"Oh, stop it!" said Levina. "You guys aren't making things any better."

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell them to leave him in peace.

"We'll come and see you later," said Fred. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."

When they had left, Hermione moved nearer by Harry's bed to explain what had happened.

Levina didn't say anything; she sat on the edge of the bed next to him and stared out the window at the rain, her brown eyes cloudy.

"Did someone get my Nimbus?"

Levina swallowed hard; what was left of the broom was in her hands.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"Er-"

"What?" said Harry.

"Well...when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.

"And?"

"And it hit-it hit-oh, Harry-it hit the Whomping Willow."

Harry looked even more pale, if that was possible.

"And?" he said softly.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It-it doesn't like to be hit."

"Proffessor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around.

Hermione looked at Levina, who moved over to Harry's bed and dropped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed.

* * *

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky suddenly lightened to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Christmas was coming, and both Ron and Hermione were to remain at Hogwarts. Ron's excuse was not wanting to be stuck with Percy for two weeks and Hermione's was that she needed to use the library, but Levina and Harry knew they were doing it to keep them company and felt very grateful.

To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

On the Saturday morning of the trip, Levina, Hermione, and Ron waved goodbye to Harry and left for Hogsmeade wrapped in cloaks and scarves.

Levina tugged her Gryffindor scarf more tightly around her neck and raced through the frosty village happily.

"Where to first?" she asked.

"Honeydukes," said Ron and Hermione together. They looked at each other.

"Fudge samples," said Ron dreamily.

"I just still want to get the Toothflossing Stringmints for my parents," said Hermione.

"Sounds good," said Levina.

They entered the crowded shop and Hermione went straight for the mints. Levina examined several candies to get Harry at Christmas and bought some coconut ice right off the bat-it was a particular favorite of hers.

After a while of searching, she followed Ron over to the farthest corner of the shop, where a sign hung labeled, "Unusual Tastes."

Levina stared down at a tray of blood-flavored lollipops.

"Think Harry might want one of these?" said Ron.

"You're joking," said Levina, making a face.

"Ugh, no. Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires. I expect," said Hermione.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

Levina was about to object when a sudden voice said, "Definitely not."

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"_Harry!" _squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How-how did you-?"

"Ohmygosh!" said Levina, nearly falling into one of the racks of assorted Every Flavor Beans. "But-but-"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned how to Apparate!"

"'Course I haven't," said Harry. He dropped his voice so none of the sitxth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to _me!" _said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it!" said Hermione. "He's going to hand it in to Proffessor McGonagall, aren't you, Harrry?"

"No, I'm not!" said Harry.

"Are you mad?" said Ron to Hermione. "Hand in something that good?"

"Why on earth could you even think of turning it in?" demanded Levina, examining the map cautiously.

"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of those passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting in through a passage," said Harry quickly. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows four of them. And of the other three-ones caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through-well-it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there..."

Ron cleared his throat and pointed to a sign on the inside of the Sweetshop door, which read that dementors would be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown.

"See?" said Ron quietly. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

"Yes, but-but-" Hermione seemed to be struggling to find another problem. "Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet-what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"Yes, because it's very likely that Sirius Black will just spring out of the bushes in the middle of public surrounded by tons of people and stab Harry," said Levina, examining the blood lollipops.

"Levina's right, and besides, he'd have a job spotting Harry in this," said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."

Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.

"What are you going to do? Report me?" Harry asked her, grinning.

"Oh-of course not-but honestly, Harry-"

"Hermione!" said Levina, exasperated. "Just give it up!"

Hermione stared at her. "How can you be going along with this? You're a _girl, _you're supposed to have more common sense than this!"

Levina's eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me stupid?"

"No, no, why would you even...? No, Levina, of course I'm not-"

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven-it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick." Ron stared broodingly into the Acid Pop Box. "Reckon Fred'd take a bit of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"

When Ron and Hermione had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside.

A layer of crisp snow was covering all of the buildings on the street and there were holly wreaths and enchanted candles everywhere.

Harry shivered; Levina noticed he'd forgotten his cloak and passed him a scarf.

"Thanks," he acknowledged.

"That's the post office-"

"Zonko's is up there-"

"We could go up to the Shrieking Shack-"

"Tell you what," said Ron, his teeth chattering, "shall we go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

"Oh!" said Levina suddenly. "I need to do some shopping for Fred and George, I completely forgot about them!"

"Why?" demanded Ron. "Those gits are-"

"Because I'm nice," said Levina. "Save me a seat, will you? And order a Butterbeer for me?"

"Sure," said Harry. "Meet us there, ok?"

Levina nodded and quickly made her way to Zonko's, where she entered and scanned the shelves.

"Hi!"

Levina turned; Cho Chang, a girl she'd met in her first year, was standing behind her.

"Oh, hello, Cho!"

"How are you? I don't think we've talked for sometime, have we?"

"Really, we haven't!" said Levina. "I didn't expect to see you in Zonko's of all places, you seemed so quiet when we met."

"Yes, well, I'm with my friend Marietta," she said, gesturing to a girl examining a box of explosive candies. "She wanted to look around."

"Wait," said Levina. "Marietta? Isn't she a fourth year?"

"Yes," said Cho. "So am I."

"Then-then-" Levina spluttered. "Why were you riding the boats when we met? Don't second years take the carriages?"

"Oh, I got mixed up," she answered, looking slightly embarrassed. "I thought everyone took the boats, no one told me about the carriages..."

"I'm sorry," said Levina. "But at least you met me, right?"

"Yes," said Cho again, but Marietta had come up behind her, gesturing to the door. "Oh, I have to go, Levina. Nice seeing you."

"Bye," said Levina cheerfully, and she turned back around to continue her browsing.

On one high shelf, Levina had to stand on her tiptoes to reach it, and she was just grabbing for an unusual looking item called a 'Dung Bomb' when-

"We just keep on running into each other, don't we, SnowWeed?"

Levina yelped in surprise and dropped like a rock from the ladder she was standing on, knocking over several bottles on a lower shelf.

"My, my, we are a klutz today, aren't we?" drawled Draco Malfoy, sneering.

"Jeez," said Levina, sitting up and placing the bottles back on the shelf. "Don't you have a life outside of bothering me?"

"Where's Pothead and Weasel?" Draco sneered as if he hadn't heard her.

"Where are _your _goons?" Levina retorted. She continued along the rows of items and picked up something shaped like a fish, examining it.

"Shopping for yourself?" Draco continued, walking along beside her. "I can't imagine you have enough money for anyone else."

"For your information," said Levina hotly, placing the fish back on the shelf, "I happen to be shopping for Fred and George."

"The Weasley twins? Well, I suppose they can't buy their _own _things-"

"Argh! Just get lost!" Levina pushed past him and placed several items on the front counter.

"Becoming quite close with them, aren't you?" said Draco, following behind her and eyeing her cautiously. "Hoping you'll blend in with them? Seeing as you _have _no proper home-"

"My house is fine, thanks," said Levina, passing coins onto the counter and to the clerk. "Just not the people in it..." she added under her breath.

And as soon as she had paid, she hastily made her way to the door and headed to the Three Broomsticks.

However, when she returned, Hermione and Ron explained everything that had happened in the pub and what they overheard from several teachers, Hagrid, and the Minister of Magic about Sirius Black and how he'd turned on his friends, Lily and James, Harry's parents.

* * *

Levina nibbled on the end of a Peppermint Toad in a chair by the fire, reading _Quidditch Through The Ages._

Harry came down groggily from the upstairs dormitory; he still looked upset over everything from the pub in Hogsmeade and had rings under his eyes.

"Harry-you look terrible," said Hermione.

"All right, Harry?" said Levina, placing the book back on the armrest.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to Levina and stared into the fire; Crookshanks was curled up next to Lilypad in front of the fire and snow was still falling outside the window.

"You really don't look well, you know," said Hermione, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry.

"Harry, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron and Levina, "you must really be upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" said Harry.

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione

"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.

"We don't want anything to happen to you," said Levina.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets close to me?" said Harry. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her-"

Levina sat in silence, wondering why she'd never heard her mum screaming when the dementors had come near. Was it because she'd never been directly next to one? Even on the train, she hadn't been right in front of it...

"There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken. "The dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and-and serve him right!"

"I'm going down to lunch," said Levina suddenly.

Harry looked at her, suddenly aware of her presence. "No, wait, Levina-"

"No, really, I'm just hungry," said Levina, but it was obvious she was lying; the same fate had awaited her parents and discussing this brought a lump to her throat. "I'll catch you guys later."

* * *

On Christmas morning, Levina woke up early to find Lilypad prodding her nose with one paw.

"Lily, shoo!" Levina removed the cat from on top of her and sat up; Hermione was already up and opening her presents eagerly.

"Merry Christmas, Levina!" she greeted.

"Merry Christmas!" echoed Levina.

Levina opened her presents; she'd recieved a blue knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley with a broomstick on it, a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle.

Hermione passed her a box of coconut ice and a new book on Quidditch, which Levina began to read up on right away.

Once all their gifts were open, Hermione scooped up Crookshanks and Levina grabbed Lilypad in her arms and they raced out of their dorm and into the guy's.

Inside, Harry and Ron were laughing rather loudly.

"What're you two laughing about?" said Hermione.

"Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, snatching up Scabbers and stuffing him in his pajama pocket. But Hermione wasn't listening; she'd dropped Crookshanks on Seamus's empty bed and was staring at a newly-wrapped broom.

"Oh, _Harry! _Who sent you _that_?"

"Whazzat?" said Levina sleepily, pointing at the broom and placing Lilypad on the floor.

"It's a Firebolt," said Harry. "No idea. There wasn't a card or anything with it."

"Cool!" said Levina, dropping onto her hands and knees to examine it.

Hermione's face fell.

"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.

"I don't know, but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be a quite good broom, isn't it?"

"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," said Ron.

"So it must've been really expensive..."

"Probably cost all of the Slytherin's brooms put together," said Ron proudly.

"Well...who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?"

"Who cares?" said Ron impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"And me next?" said Levina excitedly. "Please?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.

"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it-sweep the floor?"

Before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang at Ron's chest; Lilypad dove after him in kind.

"GET-HIM-OUT-OF-HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks sliced his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder.

"LILY! Stop!" shouted Levina, lunging at the agile black cat.

Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and mis-aimed a kick on Harry's suitcase, knocking it down and causing him to jump up and down, howling in pain.

Crookshank's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny whistling was filling the room.

"I forgot about that!" said Harry, reaching down to grab the Sneakoscope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it..."

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting on Ron's bed and nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room with Crookshanks.

"Don't yell at Harry!" said Levina defensively.

"He's not looking too good, is he?" said Harry, looking at Scabbers.

"It's stress!" said Ron. "He'd be fine if that stupid furball left him alone!"

At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room.

Most of the teachers besides Trelwalney and Lupin were sitting at the table, as well as two nervous-looking first years and a sullen-looking Slytherin fifth year.

There were four empty seats on the end of the table, which the four of them took side-by-side.

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker blew apart to reveal a large witches hat with a stuffed vulture.

Remembering the boggart, Levina caught Ron and Harry's eyes and grinned. Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat towards Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" advised Dumbledore, beaming around.

Levina was helping herself to a baked potato when the doors to the Great Hall opened.

It was Proffessor Trelwalney, gliding over to them.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Proffessor Trelwalney, "and to my astonishment, i saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you."

Levina rolled her eyes, ignoring her rambles, and stabbed her potato. She remained listening to her own thoughts until the meal was over, which was ended with her and Ron snapping a cracker and Proffessor Trelwalney predicting things again when Harry and Ron let their seats.

Back in the common room, Levina, Harry, and Ron stared at Harry's firebolt, examining it and taking turns holding it. Then, the portrait hole opened just as Harry was handing it to Levina, and Proffessor McGonagall and Hermione entered.

Levina watched as Hermione rushed in, grabbed a book, and hid her face behind it. Not a good sign.

"So that's it, is it?" said Proffessor McGonagall beadily. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomsitck, Potter."

All three of them looked over at Hermione; Levina felt her blood boil.

"May I?" Proffessor McGonagall didn't wait for an answer. She took it and examined it very carefully. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," said Harry blankly.

"I see. Well, I'm afraid I'll have to take this, Potter."

"W-what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes. Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Proffessor Flitwick will want to strip it down-"

"Strip it down?" said Ron.

"What?" yelped Levina.

"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking. "Honestly, Proffessor."

"You can't know that, Potter," said Proffessor McGonagall. "Not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that's out of the question until we are certain it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

"_What did you go running to McGonagall for?" _said Ron the moment she was gone.

"Because I thought-and Proffessor McGonagall agrees with me-that the broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

"That's no excuse to go behind Harry's back like that!" growled Levina. "I mean, you didn't even _ask _Harry before going off to McGonagal! How could you?"

Hermione was rather pink and was looking up at Levina with a slightly surprised expression.

"I-I'm sorry," said Levina hastily. "Don't know what's come over me-I haven't been wearing my necklace lately," she added, tapping her bare neck. "I'm sorry."

* * *

**Hello! Sorry this took so long, yet again. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review!**

**Things to come: Quidditch, Scabbers, The Map, and more!**

**Review!**


	5. Tensions

Welcome back! What chapter is this, five? I really need to check better. Anyways, keep the reviews coming! I'm always welcome for motivation.

**Disclaimer: Hello, Muggles. My name is Draco Malfoy. The author of this story does not own the Harry Potter series, obviously, because JK Rowling would _never _pair me with a Gryffindor. (Just kidding, it's still me! I just get bored coming up with Disclaimers)**

**Flyingwerecats: Yes, sorry I didn't get many Draco moments in, it was difficult! And hmm I hadn't even thought about that, Lilypad and Crookshanks...I'll take it into consideration. As for Ron moments and Hermione? Yeah, they're a cute couple.**

**On with the show...err, story.**

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* * *

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"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron one day after Proffessor Lupin's class. They were walking down the corridor together.

"Yeah, he's been pale lately, hasn't he?" said Levina thoughtfully.

"What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"

There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, re-packing her bag, which was so full of books that it wouldn't close.

"Need some help?" said Levina.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.

"Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," said Ron. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you-"

"Well, isn't it _obvious?" _said Hermione, with a look of madden superiority.

""If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.

"Oh, good job!" said Levina. "So, Sherlock, how are we going to know now?"

"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again.

* * *

"YES!"

Levina felt like hugging Harry; he'd just returned to the Common Room, brandishing the brand new Firebolt like a sword.

It had been quite some time since it had been taken, leading to Hermione and Ron going head to head constantly, but Harry had retrieved the Firebolt from McGonagall. Lately Harry had been exhausted, constantly training with Lupin against Dementors, while Levina busied herself with Quidditch.

"Where'd you get it Harry?"

"Will you let me have a go?"

"Have you ridden it yet, Harry?"

"Ravenclaw'll have no chance, they're all on Cleansweep Sevens!"

"Can I just _hold _it, Harry?"

Levina, however, made her way over to Hermione's table and sat down.

"All right, Hermione?"

"It's good he got it back," she said stiffly.

"Hermione-"

"It's all over now, isn't it?" she demanded from behind her book. "Don't worry about it!"

Shortly after, Harry and Ron joined her table.

"I got it back," said Harry, grinning.

"See, Hermione? There was nothing wrong with it!" said Ron.

"Oh, leave her alone-" said Levina.

"Well- there _might _have been!" said Hermione. "I mean, at least you know now that its safe!"

"Yeah, I suppose," said Harry. "I'd better put it upstairs-"

"I'll do it!" volunteered Ron. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic."

Levina smiled; everything seemed to be better between their group.

"Sneak attack!"

"Eeep!"

Someone had grabbed Levina from behind and hoisted her up. She looked over her shoulder to her captor to see it was Fred.

"Not funny!" she gasped. "You scared me!"

"Exactly!" Fred re-placed her on the ground and George appeared on Levina's other side.

"Ready for the Quidditch tournament?"

"You know it!" said Levina happily.

"Y'know, I think we should call ourselves the 'Unbeatable Beaters," said Fred.

"It's got a ring to it," said Levina. "We can-"

Suddenly, there was a loud, strangled yell from the boy's dormitory. Ron came running down, dragging a bedsheet with him.

"LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.

"Ron, what-?"

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"

Levina stared at him. "Ron, what on earth are you talking about?" she asked, standing up and striding over to their table.

There was something red on the sheets that looked sickeningly like-

"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N-no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw several long, ginger cat hairs onto the table.

* * *

It appeared as though it was the end of Ron's and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Levina and Harry often were alone, watching as Hermione and Ron passed each other without second glances.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away, It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly-one swallow-he probably didn't feel a thing."

"_Fred!" _said Ginny.

"And all he did was eat and sleep, you said it yourself," said George.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" said Ron miserably. "Remember Harry, Levina?"

"Yeah, that's true," said Harry.

"I do recall indeed," said Levina.

"His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a last tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"

Come Quidditch practice, Harry invited Ron to come along and watch, which cheered him up slightly. He even offered for him to ride it.

Levina, however, had her mind in a jumble and was making it very difficult for herself to focus on Quidditch practice.

It was a wonderful practice, though. Everything went smoothly as Harry flew past smoothly on the Firebolt. Levina hardly had to whack any Bludgers away, and by the end of it, she was covered in dirt and smiling brightly.

Ron stayed behind with Harry to try out the Firebolt, but Levina was exhausted; everything was coming so fast and at such a rapid pace. She needed to get some rest.

"Is our third 'Unbeatable Beater' beatable?" said Fred, coming up beside her.

"Today, perhaps," said Levina, yawning. "Aren't you at all worried about the match against Ravenclaw?"

"Nope," said Fred brightly. Levina beamed up at him; she was glad at least someone in her life wasn't fighting and constantly down.

"You're right, we'll do fine."

* * *

That morning, Levina entered the Great Hall behind Harry, grinning as she passed the Slytherin table and Draco's jaw opened as he watched Harry wield the Firebolt and hold it up.

"Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully. "Malfoy can't believe it! This is brilliant!"

"Ahh, Quidditch!" said Levina. "It's too bad we have to play Ravenclaw, though; it'll be weird playing against Cho."

"You know her?" asked Wood, placing the Firebolt onto the table.

"Yup," said Levina.

"Can you tell her to not catch the Snitch?"

Levina laughed, but she was pretty sure Wood wasn't joking.

"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?"

Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"Yeah, reckon so," said Harry casually.

"Oh, come on," said Levina. "Do you, like, have some sort of teleportation ability or something?"

"Got plenty of special features hasn't it?" said Draco, eyes glittering with malice. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute-in case you get too near a dementor."

"Pity you can't attatch an extra arm to yours," said Harry. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."

The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Draco's pale eyes narrowed and he stalked off.

Once on the field, Levina felt a lump forming in her throat as the crowd cheered loudly.

"You'll do fine," promised Fred, clapping Levina on the shoulder. "All right?"

"Thanks, but I think Harry needs more encouraging," said Levina, gesturing towards Harry, who looked pale.

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," said Madam Hooch, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain.

"Mount your brooms...on my whistle...three-two-one-"

Levina shot into the air and blasted off, riding beside the Weasley twins and then seperating. Almost right away, a Bludger went rocketing past her and towards Alicia. She hastily whacked it away and caught sight of Cho Chang, who was looking around in all directions for the Snitch.

"Hi, Cho!"

Cho looked up and caught sight of Levina. She waved pleasantly but immediately focused back onto the game.

Levina bolted across the sky, searching for Bludgers and keeping an eye on Harry, who was smoothly gliding by on his broom.

She could faintly hear Jordan calling out commentaries, but his voice was far-off and difficult to understand. He was being continually harassed by Proffesso McGonagall, who was yelling at him every chance she got for his advertisements of Firebolts.

"HARRY! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" roared Wood nearby; Harry had been very carefully avoiding Cho, doing his best not to hit her. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Levina's exhaustion was growing as she chased bludgers over and over again, flipping her broom upside-down and in circles as she tried to keep up.

"Keep your head on!" shouted Wood at her as she barely missed hitting a bludger away from him.

"Jeez," Levina muttered through gritted teeth, speeding on.

Suddenly, Harry's voice shouted, "_Expecto Patronum!"_

Levina turned just in time to see something silvery shoot out of Harry's wand and close in on three hooded figures on the ground below.

Oddly enough, they tripped awkwardly and fell to the ground, struggling against their cloaks. Levina paused to watch and, to her astonishment, she saw the pale blonde hair of Draco Malfoy and the large figures of Crabbe and Goyle.

Amused, she watched for a moment before returning to the game, but she didn't have time to do anything, for Madam Hooch's whistle went off.

"YES!" cried Levina, lunging for the ground and leaping off her broom to hug him tightly. "YOU DID IT!"

"That's my boy!" Wood kept yelling.

Alicia, Katie, and Angelina all kissed Harry on the cheek and Levina shrugged.

"Go with the flow," said Levina, and she kissed Harry on the cheek.

"Hey, miss Unbeatable!" said Fred to Levina. He then hugged Harry so hard that Harry looked like his head might pop off.

"Yes!" Ron yelled. "Yes! yes!"

"Well _done, _Harry!" said Percy looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me-"

"Good for you, Harry!" roared Seamus Finnigan.

"Ruddy Brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the roaring Gryffindors.

"Good game, Levina!" called Cho from the Ravenclaw side.

"That was quite some Patronus."

Proffessor Lupin had appeared.

"The dementors didn't affect me at all! I didn't feel a thing!" said Harry.

"That would be because they-er-weren't dementors," said Lupin. "Come and see-"

Levina pushed her way through the cheering crowd and over to where Proffessor Lupin and Harry were.

Draco was fallen over, struggling to remove himself from the black cloak. Marcus Flint, the captain, was there as well, apparently under the hood before when Levina didn't see him.

"An unworthy trick!" Proffessor McGonagall was shouting. " A low and cowardly attempt to sabatoge the Gryffindor Seeker!"

Laughing alongside Harry, Levina turned away, her spirits risen higher than possible. Then, she had a sudden thought.

"Proffessor!" she called, rushing over to Proffessor Lupin. "Proffessor Lupin!"

He turned around, alarmed, and looked down at her.

"Yes?"

"Proffessor, I have a question."

"Fire away."

"Um, what does my necklace do?" she asked, pointing to the aquamarine object around her neck.

The blood seemed to drain from Lupin's alread-pale face. "That...well, this perhaps isn't the best time to-"

"But it's been bothering me for _three years!" _Levina protested.

"Some other time, Levina, all right?" said Proffessor Lupin. "Please. I need to help with the situation," he added, gesturing towards Draco and the other Slytherins struggling with the cloaks.

Levina frowned, but she nodded and turned away, running back up to join Harry.

"Party!" George was shouting. "Gryffindor common room, now!"

It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch cup; a huge party ensued in the common room upon their arrival.

Fred and George had appeared with Butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags of Honeydukes sweets.

"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George began throwing peppermint toads into the crowd.

"With a little help from Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs," whispered Fred to Harry and Levina.

Levina sipped a butterbeer, dropping into a seat by the fire and closing her eyes. It was nice, being able to join in a party like this, having been so stressed out lately.

"Cheers!" said Fred, clanking his glass against hers.

"Nice job," said Levina, grinning. "We need some badges for our name."

"We'll work on that," said George, peering over the armchair. "Fred, where'd you put the fudge?"

Levina went up to the common room that night feeling content and pleased with herself, until she heard loud sobbing.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up from her bed; she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, Levina-Ron's just-he really-" she burst into tears again.

"Come on, Hermione," said Levina, dropping onto the bed beside her. "Ron'll get over it, he's just upset that you aren't taking this as badly as he is."

"C-Croockshanks doesn't m-mean to do t-the things he d-does," Hermione sobbed. "H-he's a c-cat!"

"I know, and who's to say Lilypad didn't do it?" said Levina, patting her shoulder.

Lilypad looked up from the floor and hissed slightly at the accusation.

"I-I g-guess," said Hermione, wiping her cheek. "B-but Ron is s-so-"

"Yeah, he's a moron," said Levina, "but we love him, right?" she laughed and Hermione managed a weak smile.

"Y-you're right," she squeaked.

"All right, now don't go to bed sad!" said Levina, changing into her pajamas and crawling into her own bed. "Goodnight!"

"G-goodnight..."

Levina had an odd dream that night, which was perhaps another flashback:

_The man from before carrying the bundle was looking anxious now. When he turned, Levina saw that his face was that of her father, rugged yet handsome, with brown eyes. It was raining, and he was running frantically. He reached a door, one Levina recognized well, and knocked on the door._

_A man, that man being Levina's uncle, opened the door._

_"Yes?" he asked. He looked a lot younger._

_"Please," he father begged in a horribly pitiful voice. "Please, Edmund, you must help-"_

_Her Uncle stared blankly at him for a moment. Then, he said, "Rick?"_

_"Yes, yes, its me," he said frantically. "Look, you're the only Muggle I know who knows about-about my Wizard business-"_

_"Right," said Levina's Uncle, his eyebrows raised._

_"I beg of you, please take Levina into your care," he begged, passing the bundle into his arms. _

_"You expect me to care for your child?" her uncle demanded. "Why can't you?"_

_"Because I have no other choice," Rick pleaded. There was a loud boom of thunder and a crackle of lightning. He looked nervously over his shoulder._

_"What have you ever done for me? And why are you springing this so suddenly? Who put you up to this?"_

_"Edmund, listen-"_

_"Why would I-?"_

_"Nadia's dead," said Rick, and her Uncle stopped arguing. Rick placed the bundle in his arms._

_"Will you come back?" he asked._

_Rick paused. "No," he answered. And he left._

"AAARRRGGGHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Levina bolted upright. So did everyone else in the room.

"What's happened?" said Hermione.

"I don't know!" said Levina frantically. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes!"

"What's going on?" asked Alicia, sitting up.

"Was that from the guy's dorm?" said Katie.

"Let's go check it out," said Parvati.

"Oh, I'm scared!" wailed Lavender.

Levina and Hermione raced out of the room and into the common room. Ron was shaking like mad.

"Ron? Was that you?" demanded Levina. "What happened?"

"Sirius-knife-he cut the curtains-was standing over me-" spluttered Ron.

"What?" yelped Levina. "You're mad!"

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred, coming down from the dormitory.

"Everyone, back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room with his Head Boy badge pinned to his chest.

"Percy-Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still.

"Nonsense! You had too much too eat, Ron-had a nightmare-"

"I'm telling you-"

"Now, really, that's enough!"

Proffessor McGonagall had appeared.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I ceraintly didn't authorize this, Proffessor!" said Percy, puffing his chest out. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare-"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFFESSOR, I WOKE UP AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME WITH A KNIFE!"

"Don't be ridiculous, how could he have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, shaking a finger at the back of the portrait of Sir Cadogan. "Ask him if he saw-"

Proffessor McGonagall, glaring at him, exited the portrait hole and went outside.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter the Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" he cried.

There was a stunned silence. Levina's heart seemed to stop in her chest.

"You-you _did?" _said Proffessor McGonagall. "But-but the password!"

"He had 'em! He had the whole week's, m'lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Proffessor McGonagall stepped back into the common room, her face a chalky white.

"Which person, which abysmally foolish person, wrote down this week's password's and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, and Neville Longbottom, trembling, slowly lifted his hand shakily.

* * *

No one in the Gryffindor Common Room slept that night. Extra security precautions were taken and Sir Cadogen was fired. The fat Lady returned, but she required more protection, and two surly-looking trolls were hired to patrol in front of her portrait.

That morning Ron told his story animately, holding up his hands and waving them like mad. Levina hardly touched her breakfast, which was outof character for her to skip meals.

"Run for it, Neville."

Levina looked up in time to see Neville, who was red in the face and clutching a Howler, tear out of the room at top speed and out of the Hall. Several Slytherins burst into laughter and Leivna shook her head.

"Poor Neville."

Athena drifted down from the ceiling and landed next to Levina, flapping her wings and hooting happily. She didn't have a letter, though, so apparently she was just dropping in.

"Hey, Harry?" said Levina suddenly.

"Yeah?" he asked, tugging a letter from Hedwig's beak.

"I've been dying to tell someone-last night," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I had this dream...I used to get it a lot in our first year, but I hadn't really seen it much since. I saw my dad, and he left me with _Muggles. _My aunt and Uncle have been lying to me. They're not related to my Dad _at all-_he just knew them and convinced my so-called 'Uncle' to take me!"

"Why?" said Ron, who was gaping open-mouthed at her from behind Harry.

"Why what?" said Levina.

"Why would your father leave you?"

"He-he was in trouble," she answered, stirring her porridge absentmindedly with her spoon. "He said that Nadia was dead. That's my mom's name."

"Maybe he didn't want to put you in any danger," said Harry.

Levina shrugged. "Whatever the reason, he still ditched me with them."

"On a lighter note," said Ron, holding out Harry's letter, "Hagrid's invited us to tea."

Levina smiled. "All right."

At six o'clock that afternoon, they headed down to the entrance hall, where Hagrid was already waiting for them.

"All right, Hagrid?" said Ron. "S'poseyou want to hear about Saturday night, do you?"

"I've already hear abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the door and leading them outside.

"Oh," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" said Levina, running up to walk beside Hagrid.

"Has it bin tha' long?" said Hagrid.

Inside his hut, they saw a gigantic hairy suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.

"What are they for, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"Buckbeak's case against the Comittee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," said Hagrid. "This friday. Him and me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus..."

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," said Levina, feeling a pang of guilt. She'd forgotten about Buckbeak.

"Is allrigh'," said Hagrid, offering them tea and a plate of Bath buns, but they knew better than to accept; they had too much experience with Hagrid's cooking.

"I got sumthin' ter discuss with you three," he said gruffly, looking suddenly serious.

"What?" said Harry.

"Hermione," said Hagrid.

"What about her?" said Ron.

"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely. Firs' yeh weren' talking to her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat-"

"-ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily."

"Hey, I've been talking to her!" said Levina defensively.

"Because her cat acted like all cats do," Hagrid continued doggedly. "She's cried a few fair times, yeh know. Goin' through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more'n she can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak's case, mind...She's found some really good stuff fer me...reckon he'll stand a good chance now..."

"Hagrid we should've helped as well-sorry-" Harry began awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry, Hagrid!" Levina added, frowningat Buckbeak, who was chewing on a dead ferret by Hagrid's bed.

"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving their apologies aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be gettin' on with. I've seen yeh two practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night-but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you three'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. That's all."

Harry, Ron, and Levina exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. She's got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an' you three not talkin' to her-"

"If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again!" said Ron angrily. "But she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!"

"Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou' their pets," said Hagrid wisely. Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow.

They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for winning the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.

A large group pf people were bunched around the bulletin board when they returned to the common room.

"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "What d'you reckon?" he added to Harry and Levina quietly as they sat down.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage to Honeydukes..." Harry said, even more quietly.

"And since Black's supposedly _in _the castle, then going _out _might be reasonable," said Levina.

"Harry!" said a high voice. Hermione was sitting behind them at a table, clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding her.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again...I'll tell Proffessor McGonagall about that map!" said Hermione.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry? Levina?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to _you! _("_Nearly_," said Levina) I mean, I'll tell-"

"So you're trying to get Harry expelled?" said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?"

"Ron!" said Levina.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. Hermione took one frightened look at the expression on Ron's face, gathered up Crookshanks, and hurried away towards the girl's dormitories.

"True, Fred and George would be expelled too," said Levina thoughtfully, "but, Ron, you don't have to be so harsh on her!"

"So how about it?" said Ron to Harry as though there had been no interruption. "Come on, last time we went you didn't see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"

Harry looked around to check that Hermione was well out of earshot.

"Okay," he said. "But I'm taking my Invisibility Cloak this time."

Levina sat up and made her way up to the girl's dormitories.

"Hermione?"

Hermione was curled up on her bed, holding Crookshanks in her arms, tears running down her cheeks. She looked up when Levina said her name.

"What?" she asked harshly. "Come to criticize my judgement?"

"No, I was just coming to see if you were ok."

"Ron is such a-a-" Hermione shook her head as if she was trying to find a bad enough word to use.

"I know you've been going to Hagrid's since Christmas," said Levina. "How come you didn't tell me anything? You know you can talk to me, right?"

Hermione shrugged as if it didn't matter and placed Crookshanks on the floor.

"Goodnight."

* * *

On Saturday morning, Levina and Ron left for Hogsmeade, fake-waving goodbye to Harry.

"Bye!" Harry called to them. "See you when you get back!"

Ron grinned and winked.

"Where to?" Levina asked once Harry was gone.

"Honeydukes, of course," said Ron.

"Is he going to meet us out front of it?" she whispered.

"Yeah."

They made their way down the street and past the crowds of people, stepping through slush and mud, and halted in front of Honeydukes.

"Look busy," Levina advised, taking off her scarf and examining it.

"Right," said Ron, taking the end of the scarf and pretending to look fascinated.

"I can't really see you being an actor," Levina murmured as Ron simulated a look of wonder.

"Like you're doing much better," said Ron.

Quite some time passed as Levina and Ron stared blankly at her scarf as if it were the strangest thing in the world, until finally a voice muttered, "It's me."

"Thank God," whispered Levina, re-wrapping her scarf around her neck, covering the aqua necklace.

"What kept you?" Ron hissed.

"Snape was hanging around..."

They set off up High Street.

"Where are you?" Ron kept muttering out of the corner of his mouth. "Are you still there? This feels weird..."

"Shut up!" Levina continually spat, nudging him in the ribs. "You're making us both look weird!"

They went to the post office; Ron and Levina examined the price of an owl to Bill in Eypt so that Harry could have a good look around.

Afterwards, they hit Zonko's, which was so packed with people that Levina had to constantly swerve around shelves to avoid knocking things over.

Finally, they passed the Three Broomsticks and climbed a slope to visit the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted dwelling in Britain. It stood a little way above the rest of the village, and even in daylight it was slightly creepy, with its boarded windows and dank overgrown garden.

"Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it," said Ron as they leaned on the fence, looking up at it. "I asked Nearly Headless Nick...he says he's heard a very rough crowd lives there. No one can get in. Fred and George tried, obviously, but all the entrances are sealed shut."

"Creepy," Levina commented, leaning forward over the fence and allowing the wind to blow through her hair. "And yet, enticing. It would be cool to go there and explore it, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe," said Harry, the wind sending his bangs askew. "I mean, it-"

Suddenly, they heard voices nearby; someone was climbing toward the house from the other side of the hill; moments later, Draco had appeared, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle.

"...should have an owl from my Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm...about how I couldn't use it for three months..."

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

"I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself...'There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest-'...that hippogriff's as good as dead-"

Draco suddenly caught sight of Ron and Levina. His pale face split in a malevolent grin.

"What are you two doing?"

Draco looked up at the crumbling house behind Ron.

"Suppose you'd love to live there, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room-is that true?"

Ron began to walk fiercly towards him, but Harry grabbed the back of his robes.

"Lay off him, _Malfoy,"_said Levina hotly, and he looked slightly surprised.

"Back on a last-name basis, are we?" he asked calmly.

"Seeing as you refuse to use mine, I see no point in using yours," said Levina, taking a step forward. Harry seized the back of her cloak.

"Leave him to me," Ron hissed at Harry and Levina.

"We were just discussing your friend Hagrid," Draco said to Ron and Levina. "Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his hippogriff's-"

SPLAT.

Draco's head jerked forward as a ball of mud hit him; his blond hair was suddenly dripping in muck.

"What the-?"

Ron and Levina burst into hysterical laughter.

"What was that? Who did that?"

"Very haunted up here, isn't it?" said Ron, with the air of one commenting on the weather.

"Strange, indeed," said Levina.

Crabbe and Goyle were looking scared. Draco was staring madly around the landscape.

SPLATTER.

This time Crabbe and Goyle caught some and hopped furiously on the spot, trying to rub it from their eyes.

"It came from over there!" said Draco, pointing.

"No, over there!" said Levina, pointing in another direction. Crabbe looked confused, charging in all directions.

"No, there!" said Ron, gesturing towards another area.

Crabbe lunged forward and a stick lifted itself into the air and lobbed itself at Crabbe's back. He then charged towards Levina and Ron, thinking it might be them, and tripped.

Suddenly, Harry's face appeared; apparently Crabbe had stepped on his cloak.

"Uh-oh," whispered Levina.

"AAAARGH!" Draco yelled, pointing. Then he turned tail and ran, at breakneck speed, back down the hill, Crabbe and Goyle following.

"Harry!" said Ron, "you'd better run for it! If Malfoy tells anyone-you'd better get back to the castle, quick-"

"Hurry!" Levina advised.

"See you later," said Harry, and footprints appeared at a rapid pace, going back down the slope towards Hogsmeade.

"We better get back to the castle to defend him if anything happens," said Levina, rushing down the hill. "Hurry up, Ron!"

The pair raced through the street and past the crowds of people, who were staring at them. Levina skidded on the slick ground and nearly slipped several times.

Finally, they reached the Hogwarts entrance, where they dashed inside and came to a halt.

"Where should we go?" said Levina.

"Dumbledore's office?"

"No, to the passage where he'll come through!"

"But what if he got caught?"

"Look! There's Cho, let me ask her-"

Levina raced up and grabbed Cho's shoulder; she shrieked and turned around.

"Levina! What are you-?"

"Have you seen Harry?" Levina demanded.

"Harry Potter?"

"Yes!"

"No...should I have?"

"Nevermind!" Levina turned back to Ron. "Let's try the passage, then."

They raced at breakneck speed up the witch statue, but there was no one there.

"Oh, no!" moaned Levina.

"Now what?" said Ron.

"Looking for someone?"

Nearly Headless Nick was hovering behind him.

"Yes! Have you seen Harry?" said Levina.

"Why, yes," said Nick. "He was escorted away from here by Snape just a moment ago-"

"Oh, thank you!" said Levina, shaking his icy hand, which sent shivers down her spine. "Come on, Ron-"

The two of them, running out of breath, bolted down the moving staircases and stopped in front of Snape's office.

They shoved the door open.

"-Zonko product to me-" Proffessor Lupin was saying.

"I-gave-Harry-that-stuff," Ron choked. "Bought-it...in Zonkos...ages-ago..."

"I-was there-with Draco," panted Levina, "-saw-nothing..."

"Well!" said Proffessor Lupin, clapping his hands and looking around cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes. "Harry, Ron, Levina, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay-excuse us, Severus-"

Levina refused to make eye-contact with Snape as they left his office. The four of them walked all the way to the entrance hall before speaking.

Harry turned to Lupin. "Proffessor, I-"

"I don't want to hear explanations," said Lupin shortly. He glanced around the empty entrance hall and lowered his voice. "I happen to know that this map was confinscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map," he said as Harry, Ron, and Levina looked amazed. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, _astounded _that you didn't hand it in. Particularly afterwhat happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

Levina looked over at Harry, who didn't look the least bit surprised as he nodded.

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

Manufacturers? Levina glanced at Harry, but his eyes were firmly locked on Lupin.

"Because...," Lupin hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of the school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

"Do you _know_ them?" said Harry, impressed.

"We've met," he said shortly, looking at Harry more seriously than ever.

"Don't expect me to cover for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them-gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic gifts."

As they turned to leave, Levina had a sudden thought.

"Sir?" she asked, turning on her heel to re-face him. "Um-about the necklace-"

"Not the time," said Lupin, shaking his head as if she were too young to understand.

"But, sir-"

"Later," said Proffessor Lupin firmly. And he shut the door.

Levina frowned and turned away, running to catch up with Harry and Ron.

"It's my fault," Ron was saying, "I persuaded you to go. Lupin's right, it was stupid, we shouldn't've done it-"

He broke off; they had reached the corridor where the two trolls were patrolling in front of the portrait, and Hermione was walking toward them. Her expression made it all too clear that she'd heard what had happened.

"Come to have a good gloat?" said Ron savagely as she stopped in front of them. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"

"Ron-" Levina began.

"No," said Hermione. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling. "I just thought you ought to know...Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."

And Levina felt as though someone had sucked all of the air from the world.

* * *

**Hello! How was chapter five? (It was five, right?)**

**Sorry this chapter was a bit short/choppy. It's a lot of work.**

**Things to come: Buckbeak's execution, Trelwalney, Quidditch, and more!**


	6. Buckbeak's execution

**As usual, sorry for the delay.**

**Flyingwerecats: Yes, poor Buckbeak! I still wince when I watch the movie. Yeah, I love Lupin! He's awesome. **

**savvygurl101LunaRachel: Haha, maybe I put Luna because of your name! Just kidding, but I did change it, and edit some typos. And hmm, LevinaXFred may just take off for a little while, you'll just have to wait and see! (Although I can't really see Draco being keen on the idea)**

**Silvermoony77: Thanks! I'm afraid Levina's necklace isn't revealed just yet, but that's just the mysterious part, yes? I've been continuing your story too; we're both on Book Three! Yes! And yeah, I get bored coming up with disclaimers :)**

**Disclaimer: Hello, I'm Ronald Weasley. The author and I don't own the Harry Potter series, but if we did, that would be bloody brilliant! (Just kidding; it's me. Just bear with me, it's annoying putting a disclaimer for every chapter)**

**Oh, and a Late Happy Valentine's Day to all. :D**

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* * *

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"Look at him blubber!"

Levina whirled around to see Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle standing just inside the castle doors, listening.

They had just been to see Hagrid about Buckbeak's appeal, and learned that the executioner would be coming along, as if Buckbeak's fate was already decided.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Draco. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Steaming, Levina made an angry movement towards him, but Hermione got there first -SMACK!

She had slapped Draco across the face with all the strength she could muster. Draco staggered and Hermione raised her hand again.

"Go Hermione!" cheered Levina.

"Don't you _dare _call Hagrid pathetic, you foul-you evil-"

"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.

"Get _off, _Ron!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. Draco stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon," Draco muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"_Hermione!" _said Ron again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"I approve!" said Levina cheerfully, clapping her hands in applause.

"You two better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand if Slytherin wins!"

"We're do in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."

"Knock him off his broom!" Hermione ordered to Levina as they hurried up the marble staircase toward Proffessor Flitwick's classroom. "Hit him with a Bludger!"

"You're late, boys!" said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door.

"I'M-NOT-A-BOY!" said Levina angrily; at least four times in the past few years, the teacher's hadn't acknowledged her sex.

"Come along, quickly, wands out," said Professor Flitwick as if he hadn't heard her, "we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs-"

Levina looked back to partner with Hermione, but she had disappeared. Frowning, she headed up to a table and paired up with Parvati Patil.

Where had Hermione gone?

"That's weird," said Harry, from the table beside hers. "Maybe-maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"

But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson.

"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too," said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly-The Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment.

"I'm sure she's fine," said Levina, walking with a bit of a skip.

Hermione wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off, and Harry, Ron, and Levina had started to get worried.

"You think Malfoy did something to her?" said Ron as they hurried upstairs toward the Gryffindor Tower.

"I'll murder him if he did," said Levina fiercely, making dangerous swiping motions with her hands.

They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password ("Flibbertiggibet"), and scrambled through the portrait hole and into the common room.

Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake.

"Wh-what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring around wildly. "Is it time to go? W-which lesson have I got now?"

Levina stared at her. "Are you pulling our leg?"

"Diviniation, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"Really, have you learned to Apparate or something?" said Levina, digging in her bag for her quill.

"Oh, I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and lost track of things!"

"You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I think you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."

"No, I'm not!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry...See you in Diviniation!"

Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelwaney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.

"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"

"Calm down, Hermione," said Levina. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry, Ron, Levina, and Hermione sat down at the same rickety table.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Ron muttered, casting a wary eye for Professor Trelwaney, in case she was lurking nearby.

"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."

"Well at least she doesn't cringe away from your hands as if they're toxic," Levina grumbled.

"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelwaney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavendar quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelwanry, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

Hermione snorted.

"Well, honestly...'the fates have informed her'...who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low.

Harry, Ron, and Levina choked back laughs and Levinapulled her book up over her face to stifle a snicker.

It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelwaney had heard them, as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as thugh she had not.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes" -Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise- "so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class."

And so they began. Levina did her best to clear her mind as she stared at the crystal ball, but it was difficult, for all she could think was of how idiotic she felt. It didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting. Even Harry looked bored.

"See anything yet?" Harry asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."

"I see...mist," said Levina, sighing heavily.

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms-"

Professor Trelwaney rustled past.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's ovbious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

Harry, Hermione, and Levina burst out laughing.

"Oh, I needed a good laugh!" said Levina, holding her sides in pain.

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelwaney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball.

"There is something here!" Professor Trelwaney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving...but what is it?"

_Mist! _Thought Levina.

"My dear...," Professor Trelwaney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before...my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer...the Gr-"

"Oh, for _goodness' _sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelwaney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Proffesor Trelwaney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my _dear_, it has been apparent you do not have what the noble art of Diviniation requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then-

"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming _Unfogging the Future _into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!'

And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelwaney tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her and left their table.

"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Oooooo, Professor Trelwaney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? '_Around Easter, one of our member will leave forever!' _You said it _ages _ago, Professor!"

Professor Trelwaney gave her a dewy smile.

"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs...The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."

"Ha!" scoffed Levina loudly. Everyone turned to look at her. "Give me a break! Hermione left because you _insulted her! _I mean, who wouldn't leave?"

Lavender and Parvatishot her irritated glares from their table. Professor Trelwaney merely made her way back to their table and stared into their glass ball."

"My dear, I see something...a figure," she whispered as if she hadn't heard her. "You, my dear, have a grave future ahead of you...something dark, oh yes..." She gave a slight dramatic shudder.

"Yeah? Well-" Levina began, but Harry elbowed her in the ribs and she closed her mouth tightly.

"Professor, can you look at ours?" asked Lavender loudly, still shooting an angry look at Levina.

"Some day Hermione's having, eh?" Ron muttered to Harry, looking awed.

"Yeah..."

"Whatever," Levina mumbled, stuffing her ink and quill back in her bag. "I mean, for all I know, she could mean that I might be late to class later."

* * *

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Most of the time when they didn't have homework, Ron was poring over enormously thick volumes over Hippogriffs, and Harry and Levina were endlessly practicing Quidditch.

"Don't swing it like _that," _Wood kept telling Levina, taking the club from her and demonstrating it 'properly.' "Swing it nice and easy, yet hard enough to make impact, and keep a clear eye out for your target, do you understand? Hold it _only _like this, but don't-"

"I GET IT, OLIVER!" Levina yelled, feeling like clobbering him over the head with her bat.

Everywhere Levina went, Slytherinstried to trip her up. It wasn't like she was a Seeker like Harry, but every player mattered. Many times in the halls, Pansy Parkinson would try to trip her up, but under Wood's instructions, she was never alone. Most of the time, she was with the Weasley twins or Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but soon it became a hassle for her to go anywhere, even to the bathroom, without being followed.

Finally, all pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books.

"I can't work, I can't concentrate," she said nervously.

There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure of being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little Quidditch figures with his wand and muttering to himself; Levina, Alicia, Angelina, and Katie were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione in the corner at a table.

"Hi," Levinagreeted after one of Fred and George's jokes, still giggling slightly. She sat down in the middle of Ron and Harry.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione was saying to Harry, who looked terrified.

"You've got a _Firebolt!" _said Ron.

"Yeah...," said Harry, looking sick to his stomach.

"You'll do brilliant, Harry, you always do," said Levina, smiling slightly. "I mean, it's _Draco! _You'll win easy."

"Ready Miss Unbeatable Beater?" said Fred from behind Hermione, passing Levina a badge. "George and I made them yesterday. Wear it to the match tomorrow, all right?"

"All right," said Levina, examining it. The pin was red with black letters on it reading "Unbeatable Beater". Every now and then, the letters flashed away and a picture of a Bludger re-placed them.

It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

* * *

Levina slept badly that night. She dreamt she was flying on Harry's Firebolt, and that he was yelling, "Hey! I need that to win the match!" and that Wood was screaming at her to get her head out of the clouds. Then, the clouds crowded around her and turned into shadowy white dementors, which then turned into the boggart-Levina. Every single one of them grinned horribly at her and laughed as she plummeted off the broom and through the pounding rain.

She awoke with a start to find herself entangled in her bed sheets; Lilypad was on the floor and hissing up at her angrily.

"Morning, Levina," giggled Katie Bell as she pulled on her socks. "Having a war with your covers?"

"Ha, ha," said Levina bleakly, rolling over and disentangling herself. "Where are Alicia and Angelina?"

"They're already in the common room."

Levina and the rest of the team entered the Great Hall that morning to enormous applause. Levina couldn't suppress a grin as she saw that both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was applauding them too. Cho Chang was among them, waving at Levina pleasantly and giving her a thumbs-up.

The Slytherin table hissed as they passed and Levina noticed that Draco looked paler than usual. She smirked, knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against Harry.

Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.

"Good luck, Harry! Levina!" called Cho.

"Thanks!" Levina called back; when she looked over at Harry, she noticed his face was red.

"Okay-no wind to speak of-sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it-ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a good kickoff-"

"Stop looking so concerned," said Fred, walking over to Levina with George.

"I see you remembered your badge," said George.

"Unbeatable Beaters," said Levina happily, receiving a fist-pound from each of them. "You're right; we'll be fine."

"Locker room," said Wood tersely; the rest of the school was spilling onto the lawn from the castle doors at the front.

Levina changed into her scarlet robes hastily, glancing at her now-paling reflection in the mirror.

"Okay, it's time, let's go-" Wood announced.

They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP!" Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Proffessor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, SnowPetal, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years-"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of "boos"from the Slytherin end.

"And here come the Slytherinteam, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill-"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Levina thought he had a point, though. Draco was obviously the smallest person on the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three...two...one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Levina felt her hair go flying about in the wind and clutched her Beater's club tightly.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no-Quaffle intercepted by Warrington-"

Levinashot after one of the Bludgers as George sent one into Warrington, who dropped the Quaffle.

"SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO GRYFFINDOR!"

"Yeah, Angelina!" called Levina as Angelina punched the air.

"OUCH!"

Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.

"Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"

"Load of crap!" Levina screamed back angrily.

A moment later, Fred chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to _their _Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred.

Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.

"Come on, Alicia!" yelled Lee Jordan. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Flint, still bleeding, flew forward as well to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor posts, his jaw clenched.

"YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

"Yes!" Levina grinned and turned sharply on her broom to return to the game.

Fred and George were off chasing bludgers on the other side of the field, so she tilted her broom again and headed in the other direction.

"THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart-wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING-"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way-!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

The moment Montague had returned to the game, Levina got in range of a bludger and whacked it harshly at him; it knocked him sideways and he staggered in the air, a bruise forming on his face.

Suddenly, Harry sped past, followed closely by the Slytherin Beaters Derrick and Bole. The bludger grazed Harry's elbow and he put on an extra burst of speed, but the Slytherin Beaters were catching up, their clubs raised.

Levina rocketed forward and knocked the bludger away just as Harry turned upward at the last second. Levina jerked her broom out of the way as Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.

"All right!" called George, speeding past.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Too bad, boys! You'll have to get up earlier than that to defeat a Firebolt!"

Levina scanned the area for bludgers and ducked barely in time as one passed over her head.

There was a sudden eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end; Levina looked up to see that Flint had scored and cursed softly.

Lee had also sworn, only into the magical microphone, and Proffessor McGonagall was trying to take it from him.

It was turning out to be the dirtiest game Levina had ever played. Enraged Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a bludger. George elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. After the penalties, the score changed to forty-ten for Gryffindor.

At some point, as Levina was hovering on her broom and scanning the area, something hard had whacked her on the head; Derrick had taken the liberty of actually _picking up _the bludger and hitting her upside the head with it. To return the kindness, Fred hit him hard on the shoulder with his club.

Lee Jordan was cussing loudly into the microphone at this point. "THAT SHOULD WARRANT TWO PENALTIES-"

Both Slytherin and Gryffindor earnedpenalties, but neither scored.

Head pounding, Levina followed close by Harry while Fred and George protected Katie, but Bole and Derrick took advantage of their absence and aimed bludgersatWood, who got caught in the stomach, one after the other, and rolled over in the air clutching his broom, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was beside herself.

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"

Levina turnedback to Harry after taking a moment to shout at the Slytherin team. When she looked back, she saw that Draco was tailing him. She changed directions again and shot downwards, keeping a distance from Harry, but keeping a close watch.

Suddenly, Draco reached out and grabbed the Firebolt'stail, pulling it back. After a moment, Harry realized he was slowing down.

"You-"

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!" Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Draco was sliding back onto his broom.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling, dancing out of Professor McGonagal's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B-"

Professor McGonagalldidn't even bother telling him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Draco's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

Levinacouldher very furious shouts and curses towards Draco, but after a moment she realized it was her.

After Alicia missed the goal in her penalty, the Slytherins all streaked up the pitch to block Angelina. Levina could feel her blood boiling dangerously.

"AAAAAARGH!"

Suddenly, Harry, like a bullet, shot straight into the crowd of Slytherins, sending them scattering; Angelina's way was clear, and she scored.

Exhaustion was nearly getting the better of her, but Levina swiped at every bludger she could spot within range.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Levina turned to see Harry and Draco streak past, something gold fluttering ahead of them. She looked up just in time to see Harry knock Draco's arm out of the way and-

"YES!"

"WE WON!" shrieked Levina. She sped towards him and they collided as she wrapped her arms around him, feeling at the verge of delighted tears.

The entire team then crowded around, and Wood sobbed unrestrained into Harry's shoulder. Levina could hear Alicia, Angelina, and Katie shouting "_We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!"_

The moment they landed on the ground, a wave of crimson supporters mobbed them. Levina could just feel herself suffocating when the whole team was lifted up on the shoulders of the crowd.

Percy was jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten, and Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag.

Hermione and Ron raced over, beaming and seeming at a loss for words. The team was borne towards the stands, where Dumbledore passed Harry the Cup and he lifted it into the air, grinning wider than Levina had ever seen him capable of.

And to conclude the evening, both Fred and George, riding the crowd on opposite sides of Levina, kissed her on the cheek.

* * *

"I think all this studying is melting my brain."

The exams were coming up way faster than anyone could have imagined, and even Fred and George, who had OWLS, were studying. Levinafoundherself most nights going to bed at late hours, waking up with a book on her face and papers scattered on the floor.

On Monday, Levina emerged from her Transfiguration exam along with the other third years. The task had been to turn a teapot into a tortoise, and Hermione kept irritating them by fussing about how her turtle looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone's worries.

"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare..."

"Were the tortoise's _supposed _to breathe steam?"

"It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?"

"Yeah? Well, mine still had a foot!" Levina groaned.

After a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. As Hermione had said, Professor Flitwick tested them on Cheering Charms. Levina found it wasn't too difficult, but Harry, out of nerves, had overdone his and left Ron in fits of hysterical laughter. After dinner, the students hurried back to the common rooms to study for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.

Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn't seem to be in it. Their job was to keep their flobberworm alive till the end of one hour, but as flobberworms flourished best if left to their own devices, it was the easiest exam they had ever taken, and it also gave them time to talk to Hagrid.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretense of checking that Harry and Levina's flobberwormswere still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still...we'll know day after tomorrow-one way or the other-"

They had potions that afternoon, which was slightly difficult for Levina, even as good as she was at them. She stirred her potion hastily, all too aware of Snape watching her struggle. She was, however, doing better than Harry, who couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up at the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Levina scribbled as much as she could remember about witch hunts. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time the next day, when it would all be over.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red-Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignroing mis-leading directions from a hinypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

"Excellent, Levina," muttered Lupin as Levina slipped out of the trunk. "Full marks. Well done."

Levina grinned. The boggart had been the easiest part since Levina had no fear in her boggart-self whatsoever, which was odd, since it was supposed to turn into you greatest fear.

Ron did very well until he reached the hinkpunk, which convinced him to sink into waist-high quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggartin it. After a moment inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Proffessor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"

Levina rolled her eyes and Ron tried not to laugh. Once she was calmed down, Levina tried yet again to ask Professor Lupin about her necklace, but she still recieved the same "Later" answer.

Once they were all done, they crossed up to the castle, Ron slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione. An arguement was avoided, though, for at the top of the steps was a man in a pin-striped cloak.

"Hello, there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect?"

"Yes," said Harry. Levina peered around Harry's shoulder at him.

"Aha, Levina SnowPetal!" he beamed. "Finally, we meet at last. I'm Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

"Pleasure...sir," said Levina awkwardly.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, nodding and casting an eye over the lake. "Pity...pity..."

He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interupted, stepping forward.

"No, no it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The hippogriff might get off!"

Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came up behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before ther eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin black mustache.

The very old one squinted towards Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice," Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this...Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

The black-mustached man was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe.

"That's-" said Levina, stepping out from behind Harry and narrowing her eyes at it.

Hermione nudged her hard in the ribs. Ron opened his mouth as well and she did the same to him.

"But-" spluttered Levina, making furious motions at the weapon. Hermione shot her a look and Levina frowned, her jaw clenched.

"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"I know!" said Levina, storming up next to Hermione.

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head at the time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak..."

"Come off it, Hermione!" said Levina, waving her arms like a lunatic. "Don't you see? They don't care about Buckbeak or Hagrid, they just want to make Draco's father happy!"

Their last exam was Diviniation, which Levina was _not _looking forward to. The moment her name was called and she climbed the ladder, she could feel her insides churning.

Proffessor Trelwalney sat waiting for her at a table, where a glass orb was sitting in front of her.

"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb...Take your time, now...then tell me what you see within it..."

Levina's gaze locked onto it, but besides the same white mist, she couldn't see any shape or form.

"Well?" prompted Professor Trelwalney. "What do you see, my dear?"

"Umm..." Levina racked her brain for something, anything that might fool her. "I see...a...cat."

Professor Trelwalney eyed her with huge dragonfly-like eyes. "A cat?"

"Yes," said Levina.

"What is the cat doing?"

"It's...sleeping in the sun."

"Sleeping?" demanded Professor Trelwalney, looking rather mad as she leaned in close, eyes wide. "Or, is it dead? Is it breathing? Is there blood?"

Levina stared at her in alarm. "No! It's...breathing, and sleeping. It just, um, rolled over."

"My dear, my dear!" said Professor Trelwalney. "You have a cat, yes? Perhaps, perhaps you are seeing the end of its life?"

"It's not dead!" Levina insisted, her irritation growing. "In fact, it's not even sleeping anymore. It just got up."

"Returned from the grave?"

Levina could feel her eye twitching.

"Very well, very well. I think we'll leave it there. A tad disappointing, but nevertheless..."

Relieved, Levina headed down the ladder, waving to Harry as he took her place. Once she reached the common room, she found it was deserted except for Hermione and Ron, who were in the corner.

"What a lunatic," said Levina, throwing her book bag onto the table and flopping down in a chair. "She told me my cat was going to die, she's-"

Levina paused at the expression on their faces. "What?"

"Buckbeak lost the case," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid sent this."

Levina sadly lifted up the letter, which had very shaken handwriting.

_Lost appeal. They're going to execute Buckbeak at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it._

_Hagrid._

"Well, of course we're going!" said Levina, re-placing the letter on the table and pounding her fist down. "We can't just let him sit in his cabin alone!"

"I know," said Ron, folding up the letter.

Lilypad padded over in a slow manner, curling up at Levina's feet, as if she too knew something was wrong. Levina reached down and stroked her behind the ear slowly.

"I can't believe them," whispered Levina after a moment as she lifted Lilypad into her lap. "Nice first impression, Fudge..."

"It's terrible," mumbled Hermione, who was staring at her hands.

"I'm going to kill Draco," said Levina, eyes narrowing. "I'm going to feed him to Buckbeak. No, the dementors. No, something worse, something _far _worse..."

Just then Harry entered the room, looking weirded out.

"Professor Trelwalney," he panted, out of breath, "just told me-"

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron, passing Harry the letter. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Harry read it hastily.

"We've got to go," he said at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"That's what I said!" Levina agreed, standing so suddenly that Lilypad hissed and leapt off her lap.

"Sunset, though," said Ron. "We'd never be allowed...'specially you, Harry..."

Harry sank his head onto his hands and Levina placed a hand on his back.

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak..."

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"...if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees _you_...How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You-you tap it and say, '_Dissendium,' " _said Harry. "But-"

"Levina, come with me," ordered Hermione.

Levina didn't say anything, but she shot her a weird look as she got up and followed her out of the common room and down the hall.

"Why do I have to come?" said Levina as they headed down the hallway.

"Because, well...If Snape caught me, I don't want to be alone!" she huffed.

"Oh yeah, I remember last time when you told him to get Professor Flitwick...bailed 'cuz you were scared-"

"Nevermind, all right?" said Hermione impatiently, turning the corner.

"But then, what will we-?" Levina began, but, just as they rounded the corner, they stopped dead in their tracks: Professor Snape was walking down the corridor. When he saw them, his dark eyes narrowed.

"Good afternoon," he greeted, a sneer forming on his lips. "And what, may I ask, are two Gryffindors doing wandering the corridors?"

"We're not wandering," said Levinafirmly, racking her brain fast for a story. "We're...going to the library. I wanted to find a book on Diviniation, I just took the exam, you see. I want to make sure I didn't do anything wrong, and since Hermione knows the library inside and out-"

"Very well," said Snape, his eyes glittering maliciously. And he strode off down the corridor, his black cloak swishing behind him.

"Whew!" said Levina when he was out of sight. "That was close."

"See why I wanted you to come?" said Hermione, continuing down the hall.

They finally reached the stone statue of the one-eyed witch.

"_Dissendium_," hissed Hermione, tapping it.

The witch's hump opened to show a small, narrow passage someone skinny could fit through.

"You have to go through her _hump?_" said Levina, eyeing the statue with a weird look.

"Apparently," said Hermione. She disappeared down the passage and out of sight for a moment and returned with the cloak, hastily climbing out and starting down the corridor again.

When they returned to the common room, they found a very dumbfounded Harry and Ron.

"No excuses now," said Levina.

* * *

After dinner, the four of them, hidden under the cloak, headed down to Hagrid's hut, where Harry knocked on his door. A minute passed before Hagrid, pale and trembling madly, opened the door and looked around from side to side, searching for his visitor.

"It's us," hissed Harry. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stepped back and let them in.

"Rubbish," said Levina, slipping the cloak off. "You didn't honestly think we'd stay put and leave you all alone?"

"Wan' some tea?" said Hagrid; his great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle, and he looked incredibly helpless.

"Where's Buckbea, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I-I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'-an' smell fresh air-before-"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione just as Levina said, "I'll get it." They exchanged a glance and hurried over to the floor to clean it.

"There's another one in the cupboard," said Hagrid, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve.

"Isn't there anything we can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercly, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore-"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared...Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like...threatened 'em, I expect...an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's...but it'll be quick an' clean...an' I'll be beside him..."

Levina clenchedthe shard of glass in her hand so tightly that it cracked in her grip and cut her palm. Hermione hastily reached for a cloth on the counter and handed it to Levina, who wiped at the cut, seething with bitter fury.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it-while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter-ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..."

Levina wiped a tear that had somehow escaped from her now-watering eyes, smearing blood across her cheek.

Hermione let out a small, quickly stifled sob as she clutched the new milk jug in her hands.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway...If Fudge and Dumbledore caught yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."

"But we can't just-" said Levina.

"Yeh're goin' back to the castle!"

Levina sat down in one of the empty seats, silently dabbing at her hand with the cloth.

"Blimey, Levina," said Ron. "You're getting blood all over yourself!"

It was the least of her concerns at the moment, but she dabbed at her cheek delicately with the cloth, trying to not look up.

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face. All was quiet for a moment. Then, Hermione let out a shriek.

"What? What?" said Levina, jumping up and pulling out her wand.

"Ron! I-I don't believe it-it's _Scabbers!"_

Ron gaped at her. "What are you talking about?"

"That's not a rat," said Levina, pointing at the milk jug Hermione was gesturing to.

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

"He looks dreadful!" said Levina, examining him.

He was writhing in Ron's hands, as though desperate to free himself.

"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin'..."

A group of men was walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.

"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here...Go now..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers in his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak.

"I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid."

They followed him to the door and into his back garden. Buckbeak was a few yards away, and he appeared to also know something was wrong; he was pawing the ground nervously and tilting his sharp head from side to side.

"It's ok, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's ok..." He turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Levina. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't-"

"We'll tell them what really happened-"

"They can't kill him-"

"It was Draco's fault-"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercly. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

They had no choice. As Levina shrugged the cloak over herself, she shot Hagrid an anxious look he couldn't see.

"Go quickly," he said hoarsley. "Don' listen..."

And he strode back to his cabin as someone knocked on the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, they set off silently around Hagrid's house. Levinastared sadly after Buckbeak, biting her lip to prevent tears.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it..."

They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. Levina was barely aware of her feet moving, her eyes transfixed on the sinking sun.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

"It's Scabbers-he won't-stay put-"

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going beserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink its teeth into Ron's hand.

"Shh! Ron!" said Levina.

"It's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

They hears a door open behind them and men's voices.

"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.

"Okay-Scabbers, stay _put-"_

They walked forward. Levina could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest and Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him-Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us-"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Levina could feel herself freeze on the spot. Her breath left her lungs instantly.

Hermione swayed on the spot.

"They did it!" she whispered to Harry and Levina. "I d-don't believe it-they did it!"

Levina stood, frozen in place like stone. Her mind worked furiously and yet nothing processed for a moment.

Suddenly they heard a wild holwing.

"Hagrid," muttered Harry and Levina together. Harry made to turn back, but Hermione, Ron, and Levina grabbed his arms.

"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him."

Levina blinked back tears and hugged Hermione, whose breathing was shallow and uneven.

"How-could-they?" she choked. "How _could _they?"

"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.

They set off back towards the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden beneath the cloak. The light was fading fast now. By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still-OUCH! He bit me!"

"We're almost to the castle," said Levina. "Can't you keep him under control until then?"

"No-I can't-"

"Ron, be quiet!" whispered Hermione urgently.

"He won't-stay-put-"

Scabbers looked plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.

"What's the _matter _with him?"

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. Levina looked up in time to see the familiar gleaming yellow eyes peering out of the darkness. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

But the cat was getting nearer-

"Scabbers-NO!"

Too late-the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry, Hermione, or Levina could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"_Ron!" _Hermione moaned.

"Ron, wait!" cried Levina. The three of them tookoff in a sprint after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.

"Get away from him-get away- Scabbers, come _here_-"

There was a loud thud.

"_Gotcha! _Get off, you stinking cat-"

The trio skidded to a halt and almost fell right over Ron, who was sprawled on the ground and had Scabbers back in his pocket, still quivering like mad.

"Ron-come on-back under the cloak-" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore-the Minister-they'll be coming back out in a minute-"

But before they could cover themselves again, before they could catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws...Something was bounding toward them quiet as a shadow-an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

Harry reached for his wand, but with an enormous leap, the dog had crashed onto Harry, but the force of the jump had taken it too far and it rolled of him.

"Harry!" Levina grabbed for her wand in her pocket, but there was no time; the dog had fastened its jaws on Ron's arm and was dragging Ron away as easily as if he were a rag doll.

* * *

**Cliff hanger! Ok, I'm sorry this was slightly delayed, as always, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it didn't have a whole lot in it. **

**Things to come: Sirius Black, The Shrieking Shack, Werewolves, and more.**

**Reviews are welcome!**


	7. Mass murderer Sirius Black

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the cliff-hanger last chapter, but here's chapter seven!**

**SavvyGurl101LunaRachel: Thanks a ton! :) Yeah, I'm sure Draco wasn't pleased by the peck on the cheek, but Levina enjoyed it, of course. And Hermione kissed Harry? I don't remember! But I may have a small bit of Levina/Harry, I mean, they've got more of a brother/sister sort of relationship, but there probably will be at least a few things between them, since they are in fact getting older. And thanks, I love this part too! **

**Flyingwerecats: Yes, I can't wait to finish! I think there might be two chapters left, maybe three. Yay! Thanks, and yes, I agree, they're heartless, wanting to kill poor Buckbeak.**

**Disclaimer: Hi. I'm Hermione Granger. I'm Muggle-born, but I'm the best in my classes. My cat, Crookshanks, is out to kill Ron's rat. But don't tell him I admitted that. He'd never let me live it down. **

**Enjoy :)**

"RON!" shrieked Levina. She ran after him at top speed, trying to grab at the dog, when something hit her so hard in the face that she went flying backwards. She landed on her back and fresh blood blossomed on her cheek. She could hear Hermione shriek, too, and Harry land beside her with a _thud!_

_What on earth-? _Thought Levina, but her answer came as Harry shouted, "Lumos!" and she looked up in time to see a huge tree branch coming at her.

_Oof! _Levina was yet again knocked off her feet.

They had chased Scabbers to the Whomping Willow.

And there, at the base of the tree, was the dog, dragging Ron easily into a large gap in the roots-Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight-

"Ron!" Levina shouted. She scrambled unsteadily to her feet, beginning to give chase, but she was swept straight into the air again, this time several feet. She let out a cry of pain as she dropped like a rock and hit the ground.

"Harry-Levina-we've got to go for help-" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the WhompingWillow had cut her across the shoulder.

"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got the time-"

"Harry-we're never going to get through without help-"

"You stupid tree!" snarled Levina, pulling herself to her feet again. "I'll show you, you worthless piece of-"

Another branch whipped down on her as if it could understand her, twigs clenched like knuckles. It whapped her upside the head and she fell to the ground in a heap.

"If that dog can get in, we can," Harry panted, darting here and there.

"I vote we chop it down," groaned Levina as she sat up, trembling.

"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "please..."

Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.

Abruptly, as though the tree had turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She grasped Harry's arm and stared at the cat. "How did he know-?"

"He's friends with that dog," said Harry grimly. "I've seen them together. Come on-and keep your wand out-"

"How hard did that last branch hit your head?" Levina demanded as she slowly stood up.

"I'll explain later, we've got to find Ron-"

They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the root, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went first down the earthy slope, then Levina and Hermione.

Levinaslid to the bottom of a very low tunnel.

"Where's Ron?" whispered Hermione in a terrified voice.

"_Lumos,_" said Levina, lighting up her wand. "Can you see anything?"

"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind Levina.

"I don't know...It's marked on the Maurderer's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it...It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was headed for Hogsmeade..."

They moved as fast as they could; Levina could barely see Crookshank'sbushy tail from behind Harry.

When they finally reached an opening, they stopped to catch their breath. Above, there was dim light.

Levinaheaved herself out after Harryto find a verydisordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

There was a door on the right open to a shadowy hallway.

"Harry, Levina," Hermione whispered. "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."

"Isn't it haunted?" said Levina, looking around wildly.

"Ghosts didn't do that," said Harry, who was looking at a wooden chair that had large chunks torn off of it; one of the legs had been ripped of entirely.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead.

"What was that?" breathed Levina, holding up her wand higher.

Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything but the floor, which had a wide shiny stripe as though something had been dragged across, was covered in a thick layer of dust.

They reached the dark landing.

"_Nox," _they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As the crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.

Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open.

On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks,who was purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside them, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron. Next to him was Lilypad, purring softly.

"_Lily?" _said Levina in disbelief, her jaw dropping. "What the-?"

"Ron-are you ok?"

"Where's the dog?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, it's a trap-"

"What-"

_"He's the dog...he's an Animagus..."_

The door behind them suddenly snapped. Levina wheeled around to find a man with a filthy mass of matted black hair, dark eyes, and yellow teeth bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.

"_Expelliarmus!" _he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.

Harry, Hermione, and Levina's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Sirius caught them. Then he tooka step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it will make everything much easier..."

Harry started forward, but Hermione held him back.

"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper.

"How dare you talk about his father!" said Levina furiously, taking a dangerous step forward.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" said Ron fiercely.

"Lie down," said Black. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" said Ron weakly, though he was clinging to Harry to keep upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.

"Why's that?" Harry spat. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew...What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, and with a huge effort he broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward-

Harry attacked Black head-on and grabbed his wrist, twisting it away so the wand points weren't directed at him. They fell backward into the wall and Hermione was screaming. Ron was yelling.

"HARRY!" Levina plowed past Ron and Hermione.

Black's free hand had found Harry's throat.

"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long-"

Levina crashedinto him. She knocked him aside and he fell to the ground as Hermione's foot swung forward. Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and there was a faint clatter-

"Argh!"

Crookshanks and Lilypad had joined the fight. They'd dragged their claws down Harry's arm, preventing him from getting his wand.

"Lily, what the _hell _are you doing!" demanded Levina, leaping at the cat.

"NO YOU DON'T!" said Harry, aiming a kick at Crookshanks. Harry snatched up his wand.

Levina snatched up Lilypad and dragged her away from Harry, but the cat's claws were digging into her arms.

"What's wrong with you?" she cried, prying the cat off her arm.

"Get out of the way!" Harry shouted at Ron and Hermione.

They didn't need telling twice; Hermione and Ron, gasping for breath, scrambled aside and snatched up their wands.

Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as Harry walked slowly nearer, his wand pointing at Black's heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered.

"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his hand was still steady.

"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

Levina had crouched at the edge of the four-poster bed now, clutching a struggling Lilypad, who was hissing slightly at Harry.

"You've got to listen to me," Black said, a note of urgency in his voice. "You'll regret it if you don't...You don't understand..."

"I understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum...trying to stop Voldemort killing me...and you did that...you did it..."

Before either of them could say another word, Crookshanks had leapt onto Black's chest.

"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him. But Crookshanks sank his claws deep into Black's robes and wouldn't move.

Harry didn't move his wand, nor did he conduct a spell. He just stood there, holding out his wand, looking statue-like.

Levina swallowed hard and gripped her free hand onto her wand.

And then came a new sound-

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor-someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE-SIRIUS BLACK-_QUICK!"_

Levina lowered her wand and re-directed it to the door, her heart thudding rapidly in her chest.

The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready.

Lupin's eyes scanned the room for a moment, from Ron on the floor to Levina with Lilypad, then to Harry and Black.

"_Expelliarmus!" _he shouted.

Levina'swandwent flying out of her hand, along with Hermione's, Ron's, and Harry's. Levina gawked at Lupin, astonished, and Lilypad wriggled free of her hand and dashed over to Sirius.

"Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin spoke in a very tense voice.

What was Lupin talking about? Levina looked from Black to Lupin, bewildered.

Black's face was expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his hand and pointed at Ron.

"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "...why hasn't he shown himself before? Unless-" Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, "-unless _he _was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?"

"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on-?"

And, to add on to the confusion, Lupin strode over to Black, helped him up, and embraced him like a brother.

Levina could feel her stomach drop.

"WHAT," is all Levina could manage.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.

Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She was standing now.

"You-you-"

"Hermione-"

"-you and him!"

"Hermione, calm down-"

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you-"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin shouted. "I can explain-"

"How _could _you?" said Levina, who was now on her feet as well. "You-you foul-"

"Levina, just give me a second-"

"I trusted you," Harry shouted at Lupin, "and all the time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now-let me explain..."

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too-_he's a werewolf!"_

There was a ringing silence.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I am afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead...But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Levina rushed to his side and Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped,

_"Get away from me, werewolf!"_

Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"

"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."

"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that lesson hoping someone would realize what the symptoms meant..."

Levina could feel her head pounding as the room and the voices faded in and out of view. She dropped to the floor beside Ron and clutched at a rather large wound across her shoulder from the Whomping Willow, wincing as she touched it.

When she looked up, Harry was saying, "If you haven't been helping him, how did you know he was there?"

"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office, examing it-"

"You know how to work it?" said Harry suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony-that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You _wrote-?"_

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, Hermione, and Levina might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

"But-but-" spluttered Levina.

"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry-"

"How d'you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it...The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back towards the castle. But you were now accompanied by someone else."

"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"

"No one came with us!" said Levina, alarmed.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"We were alone!" said Levina.

"No one was with us!" said Harry.

"And then I saw another dot moving fast toward you, labeled _Sirius Black_...I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow-"

"One of us!" said Ron angrily.

"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."

He had stopped pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?"

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"

"What?" said Ron again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.

"What d'you mean-of course he's a rat-"

"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," said Sirius Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

It took a few minutes for the absudrity of this statement to sink in.

"You're both mental."

"Riddiculous!" said Hermione.

"That's the worst excuse _ever_!" said Levina.

"Peter Pettigrew's _dead!"_ said Harry. "_He _killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black.

"I meant to," he growled, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!"

Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"RON!" Levina ran forward but Lupin jumped in between them.

"Sirius, NO!" yelled Lupin, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that-they need to understand-we've got to explain-"

"We'll explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off.

"They've-got-a-right-to-know-everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts even I don't understand! And Harry-you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"

Black stopped struggling, but his eyes were still fixed on Scabbers.

"All right then," he said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin pointed his wand at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!"

"But Peter died," said Levina quietly, standing wandless beside Hermione.

"And there were witnesses who saw it," said Harry. "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin. "I believed it myself-until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies...Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."

That's when Levina blacked out. The last thing she saw was Hermione stepping forward and her voice faintly arguing before everything disappeared.

There was a shriek. A horrible, blood-chilling shriek. A faint image of a woman with long brown hair appeared. It was blurry, but it was all too obvious that it was Levina's mom. There was a blinding green light, a slow-motion drop of the brown hair-

Levina jolted awake.

"...your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk of his life...Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anyone, but from that time on he knew what I was...Levina, are you all right?"

Lupin looked curiously over at her. She realized that she was lying at the base of the four-poster bed, leaning against Ron, who was wincing. She sat up abruptly and hit her head on the wooden part of the bed.

"So that's why Snapedoesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.

Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointed directly at Lupin.

Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Levina jumped, hoping she wouldn't pass out again.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."

Levina shookher head to clear her mind. What had happened while she was passed out? Were they actually believing the story about Peter Pettigrew by now?

"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did...lucky for me, i mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus-" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Sirius Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout-'

"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything-I can explain-Sirius is not here to kill Harry-"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a _tame _werewolf-"

"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

BANG! Thin, snakelike cords twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he fell overbalanced to the floor, unable to move. Black started towards Snape, but he aimed his wand at him.

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

"Professor Snape-it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?" whispered Hermione.

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Weasley, and Miss SnowPetal are out-of-bounds in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, _hold your tongue."_

"But if-if there was a mistake-"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

"SHUT UP!" Levina shrieked suddenly. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

The room became horribly silent for a moment. Levina was on her feet and directly in front of Snape now, breathing heavily with rage-filled eyes.

"_What _did you just say to me?" Snape demanded in a dangerously sharp voice.

"I said to shut up!" Levina growled, looking from one person to another. "God, you're such a hypocrite! Yelling at Hermione like that when _you, _in fact, don't understand!"

"SILENCE YOURSELF-" Snape started.

"NO!" she screamed, feeling rage bubble up.

"Levina, s-stop," Hermione squeaked, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back.

Chest heaving up and down, Levina shot Snape a last bitter look and turned away.

For a moment, Snape looked as though he might throw her out one of the boarded-up windows.

"Vengeance is sweet," he said finally, turning his attention back to Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The jokes on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat back to the castle-" he jerked his head at Ron- "I'll come quietly."

"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay..."

What little color that remained in Black's face drained.

"You-you've got to hear me out-" he croaked. "The rat-look at the rat-"

"Come on, all of you," said Snape. He clicked his fingers and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too-"

Harry got up and crossed the room to block the door.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin-"

"Professor Lupin could have killed be about a hundred times this year," said Harry. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way, Potter."

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN-"

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he had killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black-now get out of the way, or I will _make you. _GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

"_Expelliarmus!" _Levina yelled, grabbing up her wand and pointing it. At the same exact time, Ron, Hermione, and Harry had also done the spell.

Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me..."

"We attacked a teacher...We attacked a teacher...," Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble-"

"He deserved it, Hermione!" said Levina, rubbing a bruise on the back of her head. "The way he talked to you, me, and Harry-I'd say it was worth it..."

Black untied Lupin, who struggled for a moment and stood up.

"Thank you, Harry."

"I'm still not saying I believe you," said Harry.

"Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Lupin. "You, boy-give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.

"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you saying he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on _Scabbers? _I mean..." He looked at Harry, Hermione, and Levina for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat-there are millions of rats-how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, frowning slightly. "How _did _you find out where he was?"

Black put one hand in his robes and pulled out a crumpled photograph. Levina got in closer and examined it.

It was the photograph of the Weasley family in the newspaper from last summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.

"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page...on this boy's shoulder...I knew him at once...how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts...to where Harry was..."

"My God," said Lupin softly, looking from the photo to Scabbers. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing," said Black.

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple...so _brilliant..._he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with his wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself-and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

Levina's eyes widened. "So-so then-"

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right-"

"Twelve years in fact," said Lupin.

"We-we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking to good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding towards Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed. Next to him was Lilypad, who had rolled over on her back.

"This cat isn't mad," said Black, reaching down to stroke Crookshanks. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me...Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me...He even got that other cat in on it." He gestured towards Lilypad.

"_You?" _said Levina, staring dumbstruck at her cat.

Lilypad let out an affectionate purr.

"What do you mean?" Hermione breathed.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't...so he stole the passwords into the Gryffindor tower for me...As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table..."

Levina thought about poor Neville and the Howler he'd received.

"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it..." croaked Black. "This cat-Crookshanks, did you call him?-he told me that Peter had left blood on the sheets...I supposed he bit himself...Well, faking his own death had worked once..."

"And why did he fake his death?" said Harry furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"

"No," said Lupin, "Harry-"

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.

"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.

"Harry, don't you see?" said Lupin. "All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter track him down-but it was the other way around, don't you see? _Peter _betrayed your mother and father!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"

"Harry...I as good as killed them," croaked Sirius. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as a Secret-keeper instead of me...I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, to make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he was gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I set out for your parents' house right away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies...I realized what Peter must have done...what I'd done..."

His voice broke. He turned away.

"Enough of this," said Lupin. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. _Ron, give me the rat."_

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" said Ron suspiciously.

"Oh, Ron-" groaned Levina.

"Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated. Then at last, he handed Scabbers over, who began squeaking without stopping.

"Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.

"Together?" he said quietly.

"I think so. On the count of three. One-Two-THREE-"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from their wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small grey form twisting madly-then the rat fell to the floor. There was another flash of blinding light and-

A moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been previously. He was a very short man with colorless hair and a bald spot on the top of his head. He had very small, watery eyes, like Scabbers.

Levina gasped and retreated to the bed, where Lilypad was hissing and spitting angrily.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly.

"S-Sirius...R-Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. "My friends...my old friends..."

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about the night James and Lily died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down on the bed there-"

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so-"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked. "He killed Lily and James, and now he's going to kill me too...You've got to help me, Remus..."

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly around at the boarded windows and the door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of! How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

"Is that why he didn't escape sooner?" said Levina suspiciously.

Black, on the other hand, started to laugh a horrible, mirthless laugh.

"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.

Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.

"What, scared to hear your master's old name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius-"

"You've been hiding from _me _for twelve years. You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter...They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them...I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Voldemort went to the Potter's on your information...and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways...If they got wind that you were still alive, Peter-"

"Don't know...what you're talking about...," said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this-this madness, Remus-"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.

"Innocent, but scared! If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban-the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted. "How dare you. I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter-I'll never understand why I didn't see you were a spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us...me and Remus...and James..."

In an odd way, all the pieces seemed to fit, Levina thought. She eyed Peter cautiously and drew out her wand.

"Me, a spy...must be out of your mind...never...don't know how you can say such a-"

"Lily and James made you Secret-Keeper because I siuggested it," Black hissed. "I thought it was the perfect plan...a bluff...Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you...It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.

"Well-Scabbers-I mean, this-this man-he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!" said Pettigrew. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why should I?"

"Fear," said Levina, looking at Black for backup. "Out of fear, right?"

"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder under Albus Dumbledore's nose, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

"Er-Mr. Black-Sirius?" said Hermione.

Levina let out a loud groan. Couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?

"If you don't mind me asking, how-how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"

"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew. "Exactly! Precisely what I-"

"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it became all...too much...I could transform in my cell...become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know. They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions-" Levina shuddered- "They could tell my feelings were less human, less complex when I was a dog...but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand...

"But then I saw Peter in that picture...I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry...perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark side was gathering strength again..."

"So you had to act on it," said Levina, lowering herself onto the bed next to Ron.

"Precisely," said Sirius. And he explained exactly how he'd slipped past them as a dog when they'd brought him his food, swam to land, and lived in the forest. He also mentioned how he'd seen Levina and Harry's Quidditch tournaments and how they were very good, Harry flying just as well as his father, Levina just as hers.

Levina's eyes met hers and she flushed at the compliment, but she wondered how he knew her dad played Quidditch before. Had he known him?

"Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

At last, Harry nodded.

"No!"

Pettigrew had fallen to his knees, shuffling forward and groveling at Sirius's feet.

"Sirius-it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't-"

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them."

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning on Lupin instead. "You don't believe this...wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"

"Forgive me, Remus," said Black.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing _you _were the spy?"

"Of course," said Black. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, i think so," said Lupin grimly.

"You wouldn't...you wont," gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron. "Ron...haven't I been a good friend, a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you...you're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with utmost revulsion.

"I let you sleep in my _bed_!" he said.

"Kind boy...kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron, "you won't let them do it...I was your rat...I was a good pet..."

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized them hem of Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girl...clever girl...you-you won't let them...Help me..."

Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrews clutching hands and backed up against the wall, looking horrified.

Pettigrew then turned, trembling violently, and seized Levina's foot. She jumped back, startled.

"Levina...Levina...just like your mother...eyes like your father-"

"GET AWAY FROM LEVINA!" Black growled. "DO YOU DARE SPEAK OF RICK AND NADIA TO HER!"

"W-why?" asked Levina, alarmed. "Why not?"

Black turned to her, his eyes strangely sad. "Probably should have mentioned your parents," he mumbled.

"What? What about them?" Levina demanded, tugging her foot away from Pettigrew.

"Who do you think ratted them out?" said Black. "Why do you think Voldemort even knew about you in the first place?"

"Sirius...S-Sirius...," Pettigrew was whispering, trembling.

"You hear things in Azkaban," said Black, glaring at Pettigrew. "Rumor has it that nights before the murder of _your_ parents, Harry, Voldemort was tipped off by an unknown source about Levina's power."

"And who did the rumors mention did it?" Levina asked, but she already knew.

"Sirius-" said Pettigrew.

"Screams in their sleep...whispers," said Black tensely. "It was a popular topic among prisoners there. They all said that Peter had mentioned to Voldemort that you had been born, Levina, and that Rick and Nadia had openly discussed Levina's abilities-"

"No-" Pettigrew whimpered.

"-and that he had given this information to Voldemort in hopes of praise-"

"_You?" _Levina was standing over Pettigrew now. "_You _were the one who tipped of Voldemort about me? _You _betrayed my parents trust?"

Pettigrew flinched away from her. "I-I-that's a serious accusation-no proof-"

"Does it look like I _need _proof?" Levina snarled, pointing her wand at his face. Realizing she wasn't going to help him, he cowered away and turned to Harry.

"Harry...Harry...you look just like your father...just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK TO HIM?"

"Harry," Pettigrew whispered, shuffling towards him. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed...James would have understood, Harry...he would have shown me mercy..."

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, seizing Pettigrew's shoulders. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me-"

"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE A SPY!"

"He-he was taking over everywhere! Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" whimpered Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."

As much rage as Levina had growing inside her, she couldn't help thinking Azkaban would be better, just to let Peter have a taste of it...

"NO!" yelled Harry, who seemed to have the same idea. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

* * *

**Whew! That took a LOT of typing and editing! **

**Things to come: Werewolves, dementors, and a fight.**

**Sorry I've been neglecting this a bit lately; I've had a lot of homework and stuff.**


	8. An insane twist

**'Ello everyone. **

**Silvermoony77: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the mini-twist I took**** on ****Levina's**** family! As far as the shouting at ****Snapegoes, I just always got irritated when I read that part in the book**** and he yelled at Hermione and no one yelled back at him. I figured someone had to do it, and who better than ****Levina****? :)**

**Flyingwerecats: ****Haha****, thanks! I thought it'd be cool if ****Lilypad**** had joined, just with a smaller role. And yes, I'm never going to leave my dog unattended ****haha**** :)**

**Disclaimer: ****Hmm****. ****Muggles****. My name, if you must know, is Severus ****Snape****. I'm the potions master at Hogwarts and I **_**loathe **_**Harry Potter and ****LevinaSnowPetal****. If you ever see them, do kill them for me.**

**Enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents, just like your friend Levina," Black snarled. "Two families. This cringing piece of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the dementors...He can go to Azkaban...but don't kill him."

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You-thank you-it's more than I deserve-thank you-"

"Don't touch him!" growled Levina.

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this because-I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers-just for you."

After a moment, Black and Lupin lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black. "But think...think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

"I think he deserves three Azkabans worth," muttered Levina, lowering her own wand.

Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."

Harry hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

Lupin shot thin cords from his wand and bound and gag Pettigrew, who fell to the floor.

"But if you transform, Peter," Black growled, "we _will _kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down and nodded.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best of we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "_Ferula__." _Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly into a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet and Levina rushed over to support him.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice.

"Who cares?" demanded Levina. "I vote we just leave him there to rot."

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little-overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er-perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this..."

Lupin muttered, "_Mobilicorpus__." _As though invisible strings were attached to Snape's wrists, neck and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches off the ground, his limp feet dangling.

"Ugh," said Levina, backing up slightly.

Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," said Lupin.

"And me," said Ron savagely, limping forward.

Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, his left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult.

Crookshanks leapt off the bed and and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.

Levina scooped up Lilypad in her arms and followed behind Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew, her wand pointed at Pettigrew's back.

It was difficult getting back through the tunnel; most of them had to turn sideways and Snape kept bumping his head on the low ceiling. Levina had a feeling Black was making no effort to prevent this.

"You know what this means?" said Black abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," said Harry.

"Yes...," said Black. "But I'm also-I don't know if anyone ever told you-I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry. Levina looked sideways at him, stroking Lilypad's fur slowly and listening.

"Well...your parents appointed me your guardian. If anything happened to them..."

Levina tensed; was Sirius about to offer what she was thinking?

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But...well...think about it. Once my name's cleared...if you wanted a...different home..."

"What-live with you?" said Harry. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd-"

"Are you insane?" said Harry. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Do you have a house? When can I move in?"

"You want to? You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry.

Black grinned.

"Wish you were my Godfather," Levina piped up, glancing at them through the shadows. "I'd give anything to get rid of my 'so-called-family'. Boy, am I going to have a talk with them when I get back..."

And if it were possible, Black grinned wider.

"Thank you, Levina," he answered. "I used to know your father. Rick was a great man, and friend. Talented Beater, too, he was, always just about murdered the Slytherins." He chuckled slightly.

Levina smiled. "Did you know Nadia, too?"

"Of course," said Black. "Your mother and Lily were very good friends; I don't think there was a time when they were ever apart."

Harry was looking up now too. "Our parents knew each other?"

"Well, yeah, Rick and James were very close. Rick was one of the makers of the Marauder's Map, you know."

"Who?" said Harry. "Stripes?"

"Stripes?" said Levina, bewildered. She'd never heard any of the names from the Map.

"Yes," said Black. "Rick's nickname was Stripes."

"What-" Levina began to ask, but they'd reached the end of the tunnel.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering.

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

Levina let Lilypad down and the sleek black cat padded beside her. Levina's mind was screaming at her to take out her wand and finish Pettigrew off, but it honestly wasn't in her nature to kill. Threatening Draco was one thing, but this was the real deal, the real reason behind Levina not having any parents. She clenched her wand tightly in her hand and kept moving.

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.

Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Black froze. He flung out one arm to make Harry, Hermione, and Levina stop.

Levina could see Lupin's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.

"Oh, my-" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Bloody hell," said Levina, taking a small step back.

"Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."

But Levina couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. Levina started forward but Black caught her and Harry and threw her back.

"Leave it to me-RUN!"

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's and Lilypad's hair was on end again; they were backing away-

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Levina's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bear-like black dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw-to-jaw, claws ripping at each other-

Levina, panting, retreated several steps and fell backwards, eyes wide. Hermione screamed, and Levina turned to see Pettigrew, who had dived for Lupin's dropped wand.

"Oh, no you don't!" Levina shouted, brandishing her wand.

There was a burst of light before she could reach him and Ron fell and lay motionless on the ground. Another bang-Crookshanks and Lilypad flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.

"_DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH __LILYPAD__!" _Levina snarled. "_Expelliarmus!"_

Too late. Pettigrew had transformed.

"Get back here-" Levina called, but she was cut off as something landed abruptly beside her.

The werewolf turned to Levina, who let out a shrill scream and turned to take off. Before Levina could run away, the werewolf lashed out at her and launched its jaws into her leg.

Hermione screamed loudly and Levina let out a blood-curling shriek as blood sprouted from her leg. Pain surged through her entire body like poison and she fell to the ground in a heap, fangs still clenched on her leg.

She punched out with all she had at Lupin, but it was no use; everything went black several times, but merely seconds had passed.

Suddenly, the black dog launched back onto the werewolf and, snarling, Lupin let go and went back into battle.

Panting heavily, Levina refused to look at her leg, but she could feel the warm liquid running out of it.

There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Levina turned to see the werewolf taking flight into the forest.

"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled.

Black was bleeding, but he scrambled up again at Harry's words and tore off across the grounds.

Tears were forming in Levina's eyes as she panted in shaky breaths. Harry and Hermione were next to her in an instant.

"_Help!" _Levina managed, trembling like mad. "Do something!"

Hermione was practically sobbing now. "Oh, L-Levina, hang on-"

"Will this kill me?" Levina demanded, forcing herself to sit up and look at her leg.

"I-I don't t-think so," said Hermione, who looked at Harry frantically. "B-but you know t-the stories, don't y-you?"

Levina paused, trying hard to not think about the increasing pain. "I'm going to turn into a werewolf."

"Levina-"

"I'M GOING TO TURN INTO A WEREWOLF! Oh, no, oh no-"

Hermione looked utterly horrified; Harry had a terrified expression, but he was surprisingly keeping his cool, although he had beads of sweat all over his face.

"We need t-to get her to the h-hospital wing-" Hermione stammered.

"What's wrong with Ron?"

Ron, who was lying not far away from Levina, looked petrified, his eyes half-closed. He was still breathing, though.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered.

"I don't know..."

Levina winced as another surge of pain went through her leg. "A werewolf," she groaned.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Harry, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Come-"

But then, beyond their range of vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain...

"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring off into the distance.

"Go," said Levina, sitting upright again and trying to look as though she weren't in pain, which was, of course, difficult. "Go help him!"

Harry exchanged a look with Hermione and nodded. "We'll be back for you, Levina."

"Go!"

The moment they had taken off into the forest, Levina dropped back onto the ground, letting out a groan of agony.

"A werewolf...a _werewolf..."_

She inclined her head slightly so that she was facing Ron, who still looked like a fish out of water. "Ron...are you ok?"

Ron didn't say anything, but another voice answered in the form of a loud cuss. Levina turned her head again, which was pounding, to see Severus Snape.

When he spotted her and Ron, he ran over straight away. "What the-"

"I'm a werewolf," Levina announced.

"What?" spat Snape, who was now examining her leg. "These look like fang marks..." A look of understanding crossed his face. "The goblet. Lupin didn't drink it..."

"I'M A WEREWOLF!" Levina shrieked, and Snape jumped.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"I'm turning into a werewolf!"

"Where's Lupin and Black?"

"_Werewolf!"_

"_Where are they?" _Snape snarled, using the same spell Lupin did to put her leg in a splint.

"He bit me!" said Levina, almost positive that she was going mad. "I'm turning into a werewolf!"

"_YOU'RE NOT TURNING INTO A WEREWOLF, STUPID GIRL!" _Snape growled angrily.

Levina stared at him and she could almost feel the relief cross her features. "I...I'm not? How come?"

"Because, you already _are _a werewolf," said Snape coolly.

And Levina fainted.

* * *

"No, Minister...by the time I had come 'round, they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, Harry, and the girl-"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

"And this girl here?"

"Confunded the most out of them, I'd say. She was bitten by the werewolf, you see."

"How horrible..."

Levina opened her eyes slowly. She was in a dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, she could make out Madam Pomfrey bending over a bed. The person lying there had red hair.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Levina watched with squinted eyes as Madam Pomfrey placed a huge slab of chocolate on Harry's bedside table.

"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you two...you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're-Potter, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry had sat up.

"How's Levina?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't answer right away. "She's...all right."

"What-what about Lup-I mean, the bite?" Harry asked.

"You need your rest-" she insisted, trying to make him lie down.

"I need to see the headmaster."

"Potter, it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any minute now-"

"WHAT?"

Harry jumped out of bed with Hermione and Levina tried to do the same, only when she sprung up she fell back down onto her pillow.

"Good heavens, dear!" Madam Pomfrey bustled over to her bed. "Where did all this energy come from?"

"Werewolf?" said Levina, looking about the room.

"Levina!" Harry and Hermione looked relieved, but they weren't stopping to chat; they turned to flee from the room when Snape and Fudge came in.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge. "You should be in bed-has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" said Harry. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's-"

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"He's telling the truth!" Levina piped up from her bed.

"Minister, listen please," Hermione said, rushing over to the Minister. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and-"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all three of them...Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"It was Ron's rat!" Levina added unconvincingly.

"As I said before," said Snape, gesturing to Levina, "the _most _confunded-"

"I'M NOT!"

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter and SnowPetal are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened! If they'd just listen-"

And Madam Pomfrey stuffed chocolate in his mouth and forced him back onto the bed.

"Now, _please, _Minister, these children need care. Please leave-"

The door opened again. It was Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor!" called Levina, struggling to get up. She felt a surge of pain in her leg and flopped back down.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"

"For heavens sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Snowpetal. I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"-who's innocent!" Levina insisted.

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive-"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" shrieked Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds-"

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear-"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Leave her alone!" growled Levina; she gave a great leap to try and remove herself from the bed and fell, becoming entangled in the covers.

"Oh, for heavens sake-" said Madam Pomfrey, rushing to help Levina.

"You were out cold! You didn't see or hear anything! If anyone's confunded, it's you-" Levina shouted.

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT-"

"Now Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances-"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Levina, and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy-please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest-"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office, slamming the door behind her. Fudge headed to the door, but Snape didn't move.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak to Levina, Harry, and Hermione alone," he repeated.

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill _me?"_

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to face them.

All three of them burst into speech at the same time.

"Sir, I haven't been confunded-"

"Professor, Black's telling the truth-we _saw _Pettigrew-"

"-he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf-"

"-and bit me!"

"-he's a rat-"

"-Pettigrew's front paw, I mean finger, he cut it off-"

-Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius-"

"-Black's innocent-"

But Dumbledore merely held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word-and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potter's Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you-" said Harry.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little-and the fact is that he and Sirius are old friends-"

"So, _am _I a werewolf?" Levina asked, examining her hands as though fur would sprout from them.

"That is not for me to answer," said Dumbledore.

"But-" said Harry.

"_Listen to me, Harry. _It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events if far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," said Hermione desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him-"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady-entering the Gryffindor tower with a knife-without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"_But you believe me."_

"Yes, I do. But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic..."

So many things troubled Levina at once: Sirius Black, Lupin, whether or not she was a werewolf...

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, his light blue eyes moving to Hermione, "is more _time."_

"But-" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes right, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: _you must not be seen. _Miss Granger, you know the law-you know what is at stake..._You-must-not-be-seen."_

Levina had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "Sir-"

"I am going to lock you in. It is-" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore.

"Three turns?" said Levina questioningly. "What is he talking about?"

"What are we supposed to do?"

But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very fine gold chain.

"Harry, come here," she said urgently. "_Quick!"_

"What're you doing?" Levina slid slightly off her bed and tried to put pressure on her foot, but she recieved incredible pain.

"Sorry, Levina, I can't explain now," said Hermione, tossing the chain around his neck too. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Where are you-?"

"Ready?" said Hermione.

"What are we doing?"

"If you're going somewhere, then I'm coming," said Levina, forcing herself to step onto her foot, wincing.

Hermione frowned at her. "No. Not with that leg of yours, you're not."

"But-"

Hermione turned the hourglass over three times. And she and Harry were gone.

"What?" Levina asked, staring at the empty space.

Suddenly, the door opened, and in walked a breathless-looking Harry and Hermione.

"Ok, what the hell, you guys?" said Levina, glaring. "Are you just trying to mess with my mind?"

"Shh! We'll explain later!" said Hermione, tucking the gold chain in her shirt and climbing into the bed.

"Well, if it took you _that _long, then I could have come along," Levina grumbled.

"It didn't," said Harry, who had beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Is Sirius safe?" she whispered.

"Yes," said Hermione.

Levina thought of many different options in her head, but she had no idea how they'd saved Sirius in barely thirty seconds.

A moment later, Madam Pomfrey entered, looking irritated.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

Levina, who hadn't even _seen _the dementors, was still forced to eat chocolate. She was nibbling on the end of one, looking at Harry and Hermione and wondering what they did, when they heard a distant roar of fury echoing somewhere above them.

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder.

"Really-they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?" said Madam Pomfrey.

Levina strained her neck to hear what the voices were saying.

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T DISAPPARATE _OR _APPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS-HAS-SOMETHING-TO-DO-WITH-POTTER-AND-SNOWPETAL-"

"Severus-be reasonable- Harry and Levina have been locked up-"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward.

"OUT WITH IT, BOTH OF YOU!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw-"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry, Hermione, and Levina. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW THEM!" Snape shrieked. "THEY DID IT, I KNOW THEY DID-"

"What are you _talking _about?" demanded Levina.

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, YOU DID IT, YOU-"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you're saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Hermione, and Levina are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge to Dumbledore. He whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbeldore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The _Daily Prophet's _going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Ministry…."

Hippogriff escape? Levina turned and eyed Hermione and Harry suspiciously. Did they, somehow, someway, save Buckbeak, too? But wasn't he already dead?

"And the dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go. Never dreamed they'd attempt to demonstrate the Kiss on an innocent boy….Completely out of control…no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight….Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…."

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry, Hermione, and Levina.

The moment they left and Madam Pomfrey went into her office, Levina rolled onto her side and raised her eyebrows at them.

"What—what happened?" Ron had just woken up. "Harry? Levina? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

"You explain," said Harry to Hermione.

* * *

When they left the hospital wing at noon the next day, they found an almost deserted castle. Apparently everyone was in Hogsmeade, but the four of them didn't feel like going anywhere. They sat down by the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water.

Hermione seemed to notice that something was up with Levina. She sat down next to her against an old oak tree and tossed a rock into the water.

"Do you feel any different?" she asked tentatively.

"No," said Levina, "but it's hard to walk on this leg right now."

"It'll get better," said Hermione. "So...what did Snape tell you exactly?"

"He said I wouldn't change into a werewolf," said Levina, skipping a rock across the lake, "because I already _am _one. But how does that make any sense? I didn't change when Professor Lupin did-"

Levina paused. She suddenly jumped upright. "Lupin! Of course, I'll go talk to him...Tell Harry and Ron where I went," she added, looking at the figures of Ron and Harry standing at the water's edge.

She dashed down to his office, where the door was open. She let herself in and searched the room to find that most of the belongings had been packed away. Lupin was standing in the corner, packing some bottles in a case.

"Where are you going?" she asked; Lupin jumped at the sound of her voice, startled.

"I resigned," he replied simply.

"Why would you-" Levina started, but she shook her head. "Nevermind. I came to ask you about what happened."

Lupin lifted a suitcase onto one of the desks and unclipped it. "What do you mean?" he said, leaning down under the desk to pick up a box.

"You knew I was a werewolf, didn't you?"

Lupin shot up and accidently hit his head on the desk with a loud BAM!

"You bit my leg when you were a werewolf," said Levina, striding over to stand next to him.

"Terribly sorry about that," said Lupin, standing up and placing the box on the desk. He sighed. "I knew I couldn't keep avoiding this."

"What?" Levina demanded.

"All right..." Lupin took a deep breath. "The type of werewolf you are is very, _very _rare. Your kind cannot be spread through the bite, but rather, the bloodline. You cannot be both types of werewolves, so when I bit you, it didn't affect you. Following?"

Levina could feel herself growing pale, but she nodded.

"Your mother was the same type of werewolf, and she passed it down to you. That necklace you're wearing was hers."

Levina glanced down hastily at the blue necklace around her neck. "What does it do?"

Lupin sighed again. "Your kind of werewolf does not morph at full moon. When your rage and emotions are at an incredible high, _that _is when you change."

"So, my necklace prevents me from changing?" she asked.

"Yes," said Lupin, "but don't rely on it. It keeps your strength and anger level lower so that your chances of changing are less."

Lupin reached into a drawer and pulled out a book. He flipped through it and showed her a page with a picture on it. It was of a ginger-colored enormous wolf the size of a small elephant with sharp fangs and golden eyes.

"One way of telling if you're on the verge of changing is your eye color," said Lupin. "If your eyes start to turn golden, then I adivse you to calm yourself. Once you start growing fur, there's no stopping it until you fully change."

"How do you change back?"

"It all depends on how long you want to stay like that," said Lupin. "You do not entirely lose your mind when you morph, but you also can't fully control what you do, which is why it's so dangerous."

Levina could feel her heart pounding rapidly.

"Wear that necklace at all times, as much as you can," said Lupin sternly. "Tell only who you must."

"So, why were you avoiding telling me?" Levina demanded.

"Because," Lupin hesitated. "Because it's not something I particularly enjoy discussing. I'd seen your mother change a few times, so I know how dangerous you can become. Rick did some research and bought that necklace for her in the color of her birthstone."

"Why did Snape know?" said Levina. "He was the one who told me."

Lupin snorted. "He had a tendency to poke his nose into other people's business. Your mother once changed when he was lurking nearby our group, so he's also aware of your condition."

"Condition!" said Levina suddenly. "Is that why the Sorting hat told me I'd do well in Slytherin? Because of this?"

"I don't know about what the Sorting hat told you," said Lupin, "but I'd guess that's most likely why."

"And the boggart?" prompted Levina. "It was me. Did that have anything to-"

"Yes," said Lupin. "You didn't know your fear because you had not realized it yet. You pose a threat to your friends and you are probably fearful of hurting them."

Just then, Harry entered the room, looking worn-out.

"I just saw Hagrid," he panted. "And he said you resigned. It's not true, is it?"

Lupin gave Levina a small smile. "As I said before, Levina, tell only who you must. And if you have any concerns, ask Professor Snape, since he also knows about your condition."

"You can't leave!" Levina protested. "I need you to be able to help me! I can't rely on Snape!"

"I'm sorry," said Lupin, and Harry gave them both a weird look. "Don't worry, I have a feeling this isn't our last meeting. Hello, Harry."

Overwhelmed, Levina gave him a quick hug and rushed out, waving goodbye and smiling at Harry, who looked utterly confused.

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**Enjoy the twist? Relieved I **_**finally **_**told you what Levina's necklace and condition meant? **

**Sorry this chapter was so short, I should only have one more chapter after this and then it's on to Book Four! **

**Things to come: Draco, Goodbyes, and Fred.**

**See you next chapter :)**


	9. See you next year!

**Thanks for all your feedback, it's always appreciated! **

**J. B. Green: Thanks:)**

**SavvyGirl101LunaRachel: Haha! Thanks for both of your reviews, I definetly prefer it when people comment on both chapters. Yes, that would have been totally mean of Snape, but sadly, she is in fact a werewolf. And hmm...you're right! Levina could be called, like...Pawpad, or something. :) That's a cool idea!**

**Silvermoony77: Yes! I was hoping I didn't give anything away that might hint towards her being a werewolf! Yeah, and I can see how you might have thought that, but her magical abilities that Voldemort wanted aren't revealed just yet! And of course, I'll mention Rick ("Stripes") more, not sure when yet, though. Thanks! :D**

**Flyingwerecats: Haha, I thought the chapter title was fitting. Thanks, I'm glad I tricked you. :)**

**Disclaimer: Hi, I'm Ronald Weasley, but my friends call me 'Ron'. It was a big shock to find out that my rat, Scabbers, was really Peter Pettigrew, and seeing as the author of this could never come up with something as brilliant as that, she is obviously not the owner of the Harry Potter series.**

**Go crazy.**

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As the end of the year came, Levina recieved her results from her exams and was pleased for the most part. Although she excelled in Potions, Snape always seemed to find something wrong with hers, but it seemed Dumbledore may have kept him from failing her. For the rest of her time in Potions that year, he always looked at their table with great dislike, a muscle twitching on the corner of his thin mouth, his fingers clenched as though he wanted to strangle them.

"Cheers!" said Fred one night after everyone had gone to bed. She, Fred, and George were the last ones awake, staying up playing Exploding Snap.

The three of them held up butterbeer they'd snagged from the kitchen and lounged on the chairs by the fire.

Lilypad had gone back to normal, but Levina noticed she spent a great deal of time around Crookshanks. It was an odd, sight, watching the two felines sit in front of the window side-by-side watching the sky at night like two lovers.

"Hey, Levina?" said Fred suddenly as he took out a box of assorted candies. "Whatever happened that night with Sirius Black? I've overheard you, Ron, Harry, and Hermione discussing werewolves or something..."

Levina choked on her gulp of butterbeer and George gave her a clap on the back.

"That-that is..." Levina wiped foam off her mouth and her eyes found her bare feet on the rug. "Well...I got bit...by Lupin."

"That's what I thought I heard," said George, "but I wasn't sure..."

"Well...I hope you two don't change your views of me, but, Lupin told me that I'm a rare type of werewolf, and-"

"Change our views of you?" demanded Fred, dramatically dropping his butterbeer. "Bloody hell, Levina, you think something like that would change how much we like you?"

Levina blushed furiously. She hastily explained the rest that Lupin had told her, all the while searching their faces for fear.

"Brilliant," said George, kicking his feet up on the table. "And you think that would scare us off?"

"Come on, Levina," said Fred, "don't you know us better than that?"

Levina grinned. "Yeah. Is that Coconut ice?"

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"How about it, Levina? Will you come?"

"The Quidditch World Cup?" said Levina. "And it'll take me away from my Muggle family?"

"Yeah!" said Ron. "You and Harry can come stay with us, my dad can usually get us tickets..."

"That would be brilliant!" Levina nearly knocked over their stack of Pumpkin patsies in excitement. "Here, I'm going to go say hi to Cho."

"Cho?" Harry's face had suddenly gone unusually red. "Cho Chang?"

"Yeah," said Levina, eyeing him curiously. "We've been friends since the first year."

"Well, um, great..." Harry stuffed his Pumpkin patsy in his mouth hastily.

"What?" Levina grinned. "You like her?"

"What?" Harry faked looking shocked, but as he spluttered to answer she opened the compartment door and headed out.

Down the narrow hall, Levina was looking through the glass compartment doors when someone said in a drawling voice, "Weed?"

"Oh, no," said Levina, turning on her heel to find Draco Malfoy. "What do you want?"

"Manners, Snowweed," he sneered. "I was merely coming to say hello."

"Sure, you were." Levina folded her arms across her chest. "What do you really want?"

"Word is you were there the night they found Sirius Black," said Draco, searching her face.

Levina rolled her eyes. "And do you believe 'word'?"

"Depends." He stepped slightly closer. "Heard that shabby Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a werewolf."

"What of it?"

Draco frowned, apparently seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere with this conversation.

"'Ello, Levina," said Fred, appearing beside Levina. "He botherin' you?"

"What's it to you?" said Draco, fixing his glare onto Fred.

"Nothing, I suppose," said Fred, shrugging. "Here, need help finding someone?" he asked Levina.

"Yeah. Bye, _Malfoy."_

"Have fun with the Muggles, _Weed."_

"Have fun being a prat," Levina retorted, and she pushed past him to find Cho's compartment.

When Levina returned to her own compartment later, she found that Harry had recieved a letter from Sirius.

"I can go to Hogsmeade now!" said Harry, beaming and holding up the form for her to see.

"And I have an owl!" said Ron, gesturing to an incredibly fluffy and small owl on the windowsill. "Sirius let me keep him!"

"He wrote something about you too, Levina," said Harry, holding it up for her to see.

_And to Levina, please keep in contact and message me anytime you have a question about your 'condition'. I have some books about it and I can help you if you need it._

Levina grinned and handed the letter back to Harry. "Guess this means we're friends now."

When they reached the King's Cross station, Levina hopped out to find Uncle Edmund and her cousin Anna standing among the crowd.

"Come on, Levina, your Aunt's making dinner," said Uncle Edmund. He had a particularly sour look on his face. Ever since her first year at Hogwarts, Levina noticed, he'd grown more and more crabby as the years progressed.

Anna pulled out one of her earbuds to her ipod. "Hurry up," she groaned, "I'm meeting my boyfriend at eight tonight-"

"Warm welcoming," Levina muttered, pulling Lilypad's and Athena's cages off the luggage rack.

"What's that?" A voice snarled. Levina saw a very red-faced, pudgy man standing next to Harry. It was his Uncle.

Uncle Edmund glanced over at Vernon for a moment, snorted as if he were something ridiculous, and turned away, taking out his car keys.

"Bye, Harry!" Levina embraced Harry tightly. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," said Harry, beaming. "See you next year."

"World cup!" called Ron. "I'll call you about it, Levina!"

"And we'll be sure to interrupt him!" called Fred from the train door.

"Yeah, we'll make sure we never miss your calls!" shouted George from beside him.

"Just hurry _up," _moaned Anna, flipping her long locks of blond hair over her shoulder. "If you make me miss my date-"

"Oh, shut up," said Levina, pulling her bag over her shoulder and brushing past her. Anna looked over at her with a bewildered expression.

"What's gotten into you?" she snarled.

"Bye, Hermione," said Levina, hugging Hermione and ignoring her cousin. "Can't wait to see you next year!"

Levina climbed into the back seat of the car after dumping her luggage in the trunk and let Lilypad curl up on her lap.

"Hey, Uncle Edmund," said Levina suddenly.

"I'm driving," he snapped. "What? Make it quick."

"When were you going to tell me that you're not my real relatives?"

And the look on his face was so priceless that Levina had a feeling she'd be laughing it up until next year.

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**WHEW! Finally done with Book Three! Yes! ...And now, for Book Four.**

**How'd you like it? Sorry this was such a short conclusion, but I'll try and post Book Four sometime soon.**

**Review, and I'll see you in the next book! Look for 'After All These Years Book Four' :)**

**-That's the way I roll-**


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